


Song of the Unicorn

by HuntressFirefall



Series: The World of Mythologica [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Cat/Human Hybrids, Chimeras, Dragons, Dubious Consent Fantasy, Dubious Ethics, F/M, Fantasy, Just being careful, Magic-Users, Origin Story, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Original Universe - Fantasy, Originally Posted on LiveJournal, Originally Posted on Scribd, The dub tag is only for magic that messes with stuff, There's not a lot of explicit content, This universe has been my baby forever, Unicorns, but I figured I'd rate it anyway just to be safe, non-fandom, nothing bad happens that way
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-08-13
Packaged: 2018-12-14 22:30:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 66,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11792811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HuntressFirefall/pseuds/HuntressFirefall
Summary: Ian and Ryan are two Californian teenagers in 1988 who have graduated high school and are about to move on to college. But one game of chess changes their plans quite substantially when they are transported into an alternate world where they find themselves destined to fulfill a prophecy to save that world and all those who live in it -- including its most prominent residents, the Unicorn who, as it turns out, aren't only the kind they know of from fairy tales...This is the story that introduces the Mythologica universe. If you have readOf Selves and Souls, this story is where it all began.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This story actually began with an assignment while I was in high school. In my vocational commercial art class, we were assigned the task of designing a hardcover book dust jacket. I named my "book" Song of the Unicorn, and featured a hand reaching down for a chess piece in the shape of a unicorn. Because my dad read mysteries, I was thinking of it more as an espionage book -- one of those books that has a very deceiving title, and wasn't really about unicorns at all but rather some secret FBI plan with "unicorn" in its name. Or possibly, "unicorn" being a code name for an informant, with his "song" the information he provided.
> 
> However, in the down time between graduating high school in 1987 and finally getting into a vocational college in 1988 (damn red tape!), I actually began to write a real story around the book cover idea. Originally, it was simple, with cartoon-like drawings. But I was proud enough of it that I redid the cover, did a back cover, typed it out after having scribbled it in a notebook, and bound it using a couple of clear-fronted folders. Back then, I never let anyone read anything I wrote, but I let my mom and sister read it, and to this day I'm not sure they really got it. I think they read it more just to humor me, and I doubt either of them remembered it later on.
> 
> During my time in college, I started learning more about drawing faces and bodies, and began to refine the characters on a visual scale. This prompted me to rewrite the story, and during the extra time I had due to finishing a computer class early, I used a school-based version of Wordstar to draft the second version. In the late 90s found the disks again, and even for a short time had an old computer I could have accessed them on -- but I couldn't remember how to use the program anymore. Luckily, I did have one printed copy of what I had done then.
> 
> However, I remembered the story so well that I didn't even use it when I began rewriting it in earnest in the spring of 2001. I only saved a few of the original elements, and the characters are far more adult than they were in the first two versions. The story itself had matured as well. In the original version, all the Mythologican residents, be they Unicorn, Cats or whatever, were well-meaning and friendly. But as I rewrote further, I knew that wasn't very realistic. Every living race has both good and bad traits, and in this third evolution I expanded on that concept. The result was a far more realistic version, and one I was much more happy with. There were also some characters that didn't even exist originally, that had been added in for continuity and clarity. And, ironically enough, while I was coding it into the Web page format to post on Livejournal, I ended up adding an extra chapter even though the story had previously been pronounced finished.
> 
> Nearly a decade removed from that third incarnation and with more knowledge under my belt, I went back and read it again... and realized the entire premise of the biggest plot point -- the interaction between Tempest and Ryan -- was, to say the least, ridiculously problematic. The way the relationship worked in my head was far from how it actually read on the page. The more I thought about that and also the relationship between Ian and Ryan, I realized that both of those main characters deserved much better. Also, the entire story left so much unexplained and there were a massive amount of plot holes, and a general need to flesh things out more. So in Summer of 2016, I began what I thought would be a tweak that turned into rewriting roughly about half of it, including revising the aforementioned key plot point, a few more supporting character additions and world mythology clarifications as well. After reading through it when finished, I firmly believe that now I can pronounce this story completed.
> 
> Coming to the final version of this novel has been quite gratifying. It is a deeply personal piece of work for me; one that has remained with me since that first version in 1988, and is the basis for all of the fantasy-oriented work that will be posted here subsequently. No matter what form it took, I have always been proud of it. It's a huge high to finally share it, in some way, shape or form, with the world. I do sincerely hope you enjoy it.

The day had dawned overcast, with the result leaving the forest hushed. In the distance, thunder, its volume a soft purr, gave the humid morning an ominous feel. The usual bright colors of the forest were muted, the green looking more like old moss than its usual vibrant shade.

It matched the mood of the graceful Unicorn that moved silently through the forest. Aracon had found something about the morning oppressive. A sense of foreboding had fallen over him the moment he’d stepped out of the gates of the Rainbow Palace. For some reason, he felt this would be a dark day for Mythologica -- and not just because of the impending storm.

He’d searched the sky for Luminar, the winged guardian of the sun, and had not seen him today. The Elvish spirit’s lack of presence only served to disturb Aracon more as he plodded along a small stream leading to a glade which marked the end of the section of forest he was charged with patrolling.

He could remember when there was no need for such things; however, times had become very difficult in Aracon's beloved home. The land was just beginning to recover from a devastating war, during which every denizen of Mythologica had either defended his home from, or died at, the hands of humans. Many of its natives had survived, but just as many had not. But until the holes in the magic that protected their world were completely repaired, the patrols would be necessary. Unfortunately, the healing was far too slow to be without grave consequences.

Aracon paused to sip some water from the stream -- and recoiled when it left a foul taste in his mouth. Something had taken the magic from the water that kept it clean and free of disease after its contamination by humans. Sending a wave of magic through himself to heal out any impurities, he raised his nose to the wind to catch any foreign scents -- and was met by one, quite strong, coming from the direction of the glade.

Advancing slowly and gathering his muscles in case the need for flight arose, the deceptively fragile-looking Unicorn moved closer to the offending scent and grew more alarmed when he saw the flash of a golden coat through the leaves ahead. The scent did not match any creature he knew of; rather, it smelled like three, mixed into one. An odd, guttural sound emanated from the glade as Aracon nosed aside the tangled vines... and went cold at what he saw.

It was larger than any creature he’d ever seen. At first, he thought it to be a massive lion -- but a closer inspection proved it to be much more. Its tail was not a normal lion’s tail; instead, a huge boa constrictor sprouted from the base of the creature’s spine, the snake’s head and body moving as if it had its own mind. And in the middle of its back was fastened the head of a goat, braying insistently as if it were arguing with the huge lion’s head that rested atop the creature’s shoulders. There was no mistaking this horror’s identity -- it was a Chimera, known to appear only in places where the good magic of the world had been wounded, with an eternal quest within it to destroy all that was good.

Despite his impulse to flee, Aracon backed away slowly -- if the Chimera caught his scent, there would be little chance to escape. He had to warn the Palace Guard, but couldn’t take the risk of telepathically sending his warning, lest the Chimera be able to hear such things. Moving in reverse, placing each cloven hoof carefully, he made his way down the path he’d come.

Just then, the sky darkened and a gust of wind filled the trees -- a wind that was no longer carrying the Unicorn’s scent away from the Chimera, but directly to it. Within seconds the creature had detected his surveyor and with a terrifying roar rose to follow.

Aracon broke into a gallop, sending frantically to all who would hear him as he careened through the forest, praying to the Goddess that the head start he’d had would be enough. He could hear the saplings and bushes snapping as the massive Chimera followed him, shadowing his every move despite all attempts to throw it off his trail. He burst into the clearing where the Unicorn gathered, met by at least twenty of his herdmates standing at the ready, ringed around the glittering white Unicorn statue that was the centerpiece of the Unicorns’ holy place.

Within seconds of Aracon’s arrival the Chimera crashed into the clearing, all three heads bellowing in their respective voices. The herd linked their magic, hoping to form a protective shield for the icon which represented their life force -- and the one thing they knew the Chimera had come to Mythologica for. But almost as quickly as they built their defenses, the massive beast shot them down, sending each Unicorn reeling in temporary agony until it could heal its shattered mind.

With the circle of Unicorn guards left unable to challenge him for the moment, the Chimera charged forward toward the Idol. The Goddess-infused statue sent up a shield, an intense glow warning of injury should anything try to harm it. But the shield was made for ordinary mortal beings, and the Chimera definitely was not that. It pierced through the shield completely unaffected by the energy, sparks glancing off its tough hide. It reared upon its hind legs, the lion-head's jaws opening wide...

The downed members of the Herd were all snapped to consciousness by an ear-piercing metallic ring that almost sounded like a shriek of pain. As the sky darkened further, thunder pealing through the clearing, the herd’s defenses melted to terror at the sight of the Chimera holding the Horn of the Idol in its jaws. With the creature having snapped it off cleanly the sound resonated, fading slowly, leaving a feel of devastation behind as the Chimera roared triumphantly through the clenched teeth that held the Horn as it made its escape back into the forest.

The herd stood in silence for several moments, listening helplessly as the sounds of the fleeing Chimera faded away. Even with all of them joined, there was not enough strength to rescue the piece of their being the creature had taken with it. As the heavens opened, bathing the wounded Idol in cold rain they watched as the pulsing, ever-changing rainbow sheen of energy that signified the Idol's protection lost a bit of its vibrance, the stone beneath it becoming slightly more visible. The Unicorn turned to seek shelter within the Palace as the storm began to rain stinging needles of hail on their soft hides, already feeling a faint weakness within them that matched the beginning of the fading Idol's power.

Aracon knew within that his race was doomed. The shields around Mythologica were still far from healed; too much of the outside world still interfered, keeping the Unicorn dependent upon their earthly manifestation of Danicala’s power. Without it, there was no hope of finding the strength to defeat the Chimera and win back the Horn.

As he headed back toward the Palace, he called out with the telepathic mindvoice all Unicorn used to communicate to those within its walls that might know what course of action should be taken next. The constant, usually joyous Song of the Unicorn, a musical, mind-borne manifestation of the Unicorns' magic that bound them all as one, became mournful, perhaps even more so than it had ever been in the War that had devastated their land not just a few years prior. Though he tried to remain strong, Aracon began to feel the threads of doubt creeping into his being... but he refused to believe just yet that his people were doomed. There had to be another way.

And yet, the sensible part of his mind won over for the moment as he stepped back within the protection of the Palace's walls; protection that now, unless that way was found, would not be present for long. They had to find a way to defend themselves before the Chimera returned to finish what he'd begun... or worse, brought his own herd from the places dark magic lurked to serve him in his quest to destroy this once beautiful land... one their Goddess had promised would never wane in its protections.

Aracon snorted in irony at that as his golden hooves clicked on the stone floors of the Palace. His faith, which had always been strong, had been chipped away slowly; first by the War, and now... this devastation. He found it difficult to believe his people would survive this new intrusion. The world around them had already wounded them once, and would again... if the slow ebb of what magic was left didn’t take them first...

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The artwork of my original characters linked in this chapter is my own. They are both done in colored pencil on sketchbook paper, from 2007. Please do not repost, thanks much :)

“Ryan! We're leaving for the airport soon. Come down so I can go over things with you.”

[Ryan Leigh Carroll](http://68.media.tumblr.com/89332475b5a76b5c6debd05c73b63fc5/tumblr_oof36zc1Yd1qhahobo2_500.jpg) had been hiding in her room most of the day as her parents prepared for yet another weekend trip to Las Vegas for some important society fundraiser that she cared nothing about. She'd actually been hoping to avoid the customary pre-trip lecture she received whenever she stayed behind; after all, it wasn't like the house was completely empty. The maids and chef were still there to keep the household running and, she was convinced, to report back to her parents if Ryan did anything out of turn – which she never did.

Well, nothing that would be out of turn for a normal 18 year old girl. But Ryan's parents didn't exactly consider her normal...

“Ryan! Come down now, I've only got a few minutes!”

She sighed exasperatedly, sticking in the Unicorn bookmark to mark the place in her latest Tolkien book, tucking it under her arm as she headed down the long spiral staircase of the mid-size mansion she lived in. Her mother, dressed to the nines for a short plane ride (because appearances were incredibly important) stood at the bottom of the stairs while Ryan's father directed their driver in how to pack their luggage in the car just outside the open foyer door.

“Now Ryan. I'll not have you resting on your laurels of graduating Valedictorian of the class of 1988. There are three books I've set aside for you on the kitchen table, and I expect you to have read them when we get back, and not that ridiculous fantasy garbage you insist on reading.” Ryan was glad she'd thought better of leaving her book in view and had tucked it into the back pocket of her jeans. “You can have the girls from the Honor Society over for a sleepover if you like, I've left a menu with the cook if you decide on that. And as always... don't let that trashy rock and roll boy into this house. I really hope once you go off to Harvard in a few months he'll be long gone. Are we clear on all this?”

Ryan had tuned out within the second sentence; the lecture was the same every time. She nodded absently, knowing that her mother probably was too worried if she was wearing the right earrings to make her entrance into the airport to really notice if Ryan was even paying attention or not.

“All right then. We'll see you when we get home. Be good.” Her mother turned with a dramatic swish of the caftan she was wearing over her pantsuit, responding to her husband's insistence that they be on their way. Her father stuck his head back in before pulling the door closed, catching Ryan's attention with a whistle.

“There are summaries of the books stuck inside each one. I've read them all myself. Just skim those and you'll be fine,” he assured her. Ryan nodded; at least she could say her father was a bit less stringent, but didn't agree with her mother on the most important point of the three. “And if Ian comes over, just tell Loreen you have my permission. See you in two days, hon.” He was now the one responding to her mother's impatient complaints that they were going to be late (when they were in reality three hours early) and hurriedly closed the door.

Ryan sighed in relief then, finally having some peace for at least a couple of days. She wasn't exactly looking forward to Harvard, but at least it would allow her to have some sort of a free life away from her overbearing mother's watchful eye. The woman was determined to model Ryan after herself, especially when she'd realized Ryan had taken more after her father: Easy going, a bit of a dreamer, and interested in more than things that would eventually get her a good job and make her just as much money as her mother had made as a real estate agent in their hometown of Burbank – that is, of course, until she could find a nice, clean-cut businessman to marry and have all of the spoils her mother had won following the same path.

But Ryan was looking for more than a cut-and-dry life of rising up the corporate ladder and marrying for money. Or perhaps she would have been, before she'd befriended someone outside of her social circle in high school. She'd insisted on going to public school for her last two years when a few of her girlfriends had made the switch, and the one thing her mother had been terrified of ended up happening: Ryan came to be friends with a trashy rock and roll boy. Except Ian wasn't trashy, far from it. It's just that her mother failed to see that there were more ways to make a mark in the world.

Ryan made her way out to the huge wraparound porch to enjoy the peace of the day and continue reading her book, thankful for at least a couple of days of respite from high expectations. She'd have to prepare for a society party next week and wasn't looking forward to it, or the date that her mother had set her up with, a Harvard-bound business major she hoped Ryan would connect with before she left and leave the “trashy rock and roll boy” behind.

_Right,_ Ryan thought to herself sarcastically as she cleared her mind and opened her book to return to her journey to _The Two Towers_. _That won't happen if I have any say._

 

 

 

“Well... I have good news, and bad news.”

[Ian Marcus Carlsson](http://68.media.tumblr.com/1ba6850cdafe12ff62fdc80ee109271f/tumblr_oof36zc1Yd1qhahobo1_500.jpg) had just come in from getting the mail, having found two letters both addressed to him. One was a fat manila envelope; the other was a simple white envelope.

“What is it?” his mother asked, concerned; at the same time, his father lowered the newspaper he was reading over his morning coffee.

“I... didn't make it into Harvard,” he said, and his mother knew why there was sadness in his voice. “But...” Despite his sadness, he couldn't help but also grin as he held up the letter enclosed in the manila envelope. “I got into Berkeley!!”

His mother let out a cry of joy, his father rising from the table to hug his son; his two sisters, having just entered the room, ran over and joined the group hug the family fell into. Once the initial reaction subsided, his two younger sisters busied themselves with getting some breakfast and their plans for the day before heading back up to their room, his parents settling back down at the table. Ian sat down, unable to completely divert his attention to the Harvard rejection letter despite making it into the music program at the California college based on his considerable talent. An accomplished musician at 18, Ian could probably have joined any band on the Sunset Strip, but decided instead to learn more about his chosen craft before proceeding. His SATs hadn't been quite enough to get him into Harvard, missing the scholarship program he'd have needed to even get in the door by less one hundred points. Berkeley, however, had awarded him a full four-year ride, and there was no way he could turn it down.

“I know you hoped for Harvard...” his mother said gently. “But to be honest, they're probably far too stuffy for someone like you. You need to be among people who are creative and will encourage you. I know why you wanted to go to Harvard but... I think you'll do better at Berkeley.”

Ian nodded, tossing the Harvard letter aside. “I know. I just... it's stupid, and I probably wanted to go there for the wrong reason anyway... I don't know that I'd have applied myself as much as I should. I need some competition to keep me in line,” he smiled. His father laughed at that; the countless guitar and piano competitions he'd driven his son to, most of which he'd won, spoke of Ian's competitive nature and his drive to continually improve his craft. “Besides... we'll save a lot of money since I'll be staying in the state.” He shrugged then; both parents could see there was still disappointment on his face as he looked down at the acceptance package.

“This packet they sent is huge... I've got a lot of stuff to read. My head's all over the place right now. I'm gonna go take a walk.” With that, he walked over to the table at the entrance to the modest house, picking up his Walkman. “I'll be back later. Love you guys.”

As Ian closed the door, his mother looked on sadly.

“He was really hoping he wouldn't have to be separated from Ryan... I didn't have the heart to tell him that even if he'd made it in, we couldn't have afforded Harvard,” she said to her husband, who nodded somberly.

“It's probably for the best,” his father replied. “I don't think her family would have ever allowed him to be close to her anyway. This way, he'll get immersed in his studies, maybe meet someone more like him, and find a way to move on. Don't get me wrong, I wish it had worked out for him... but in the end, I think it's happening like it's supposed to.”

 

 

 

It was nearly midday, and Ryan was still on the porch, having become so immersed in her book that she was nearly done with the lengthy novel. She was so engrossed within its pages that she didn't hear the footsteps coming up the driveway and around the u-drive at the front of the house.

“Aren’t you finished with that book yet?”

She was startled at first by the surprise voice, then broke into a grin as she saw him walking forward. Torn jeans, Def Leppard t-shirt, and big, spiky, overly-hairsprayed hair sticking out porcupine-like from a red bandanna tied around his forehead, leather bracelets, a pile of jangling necklaces, leather boots; Ian was completely opposite of any boy Ryan's mother would have wanted for her. But Ryan had seen into Ian's heart, and knew him far better than her mother ever would, mostly because she'd never make the attempt.

Ian climbed up onto the porch, sitting down next to her on the lounge chair she'd sat up on the edge of.

“This is the next one. I finished _The Fellowship of the Ring_ two days ago,” she shot back playfully.

“Sheesh. You’re going to be a human library soon. I’m surprised you can’t recite the card catalog.”

“Oh hush.” She set the book down, then moved closer to accept his arm around her shoulders, sighing a bit as she cuddled into his embrace.

“So what's up?” she asked. “I'm surprised to see you around so early.”

“I did some work for my uncle this morning, mowed a few lawns, trimmed some trees. I'm off from the pizzeria today, so I figured I'd come see you before the vampire hour for once,” he replied. “And... well... I kinda have something to tell you.”

Ryan sat up then, looking into his deep blue eyes, her tone apprehensive. “What... what is it?”

He sighed hard then, head bowing as he looked down at his hand. “I... didn't get into Harvard. I doubt that even with a scholarship my parents could have afforded it anyway, but... yeah.”

Ryan couldn't hold back the tears; she wrapped her arms around him, her head on his shoulder. “God dammit... that was our last chance...”

He held her in return, rubbing her back softly. “I know... We'll figure it out. We'll keep in touch. And there's always spring and summer breaks, we can meet up... we'll make it work.”

She raised her head then. “So you're just staying here?”

“Well... I did get into Berkeley's music program... full ride...”

She gave him a playful fake cuff to the chin then. “Oh my god that's amazing!!!” She squeezed him again, this time in happiness, however bittersweet. “Oh Ian I'm so proud of you...” She leaned in and gave him a half-kiss on the cheek before she even realized it; it was the closest they'd come to a kiss so far. It took him aback for a moment, but he decided not to question it.

“I mean... I expected you to get in somewhere good with being Salutatorian and all... Berkeley's a great school and their music program is really great. You're going to kick ass there.”

Ian nodded, feeling a bit more happy about it as Ryan's reaction comforted him. “I know... Chris got in there too, I saw him on the way over. We're going to see if we can room together. It's just... not where I wanted to be...”

Ryan sighed then. “I know we wanted to be together... I know that was my first reaction and all but... you deserve to be around people who get you, who will support you. I don't know that Harvard would have made you happy... and I don't want you to have to change who you are to fit in.”

He sighed then, giving her a tight hug before gently releasing her. “Anyway... So, your parents are gone for the weekend?” Ian asked.

“Yep. Out of my hair, at least for now. But of course, with all the house staff and such, I’m never really alone. And of course Mom left me with homework, but Dad gave me the notebook versions to get me off the hook.”

Ian laughed at that. “At least your dad cuts you some slack. Did he buy you the Narnia boxed book set for your graduation like you asked?”

Ryan laughed. “Oh god he did and Mom about threw a fit. He assured her that C.S. Lewis is a legendary writer and that I'll be better for having read them... for the tenth time, unbeknownst to her. Libraries are wonderful things, but it feels good to finally own them. All she's worried about is that I'll be checking the back of my closet for the door to Narnia. Which... well I can hope for the best there,” she snorted.

Ian laughed in response to that. “So... you have anything going on today? You think if you disappeared for a while your babysitters would notice?”

“I don't really care if they do,” she retorted. “I'm a month away from being 19. Whether they want to believe it or not, I can go where ever the hell I want.”

Ian chuckled then. “Well, come with me -- I want to show you something I got yesterday. I treated myself with my graduation money.”

“Don’t tell me, it’s another guitar,” Ryan giggled.

“No. It’s... well, you’ll see it. Come with me. My sisters should be gone to a to a friend’s birthday party by now, and Mom and Dad won’t give a hoot who I bring home.”

“Oh, that sounds good,” Ryan teased. “Such caring parents.”

“Hey, you wish your parents cared as little as mine do.”

Ryan lowered her head then. “Touché,” she remarked.

Ian felt a little bad then, giving her another squeeze. “Aw, I’m just messin’ with ya.”

She sighed. “I know, I'm sorry. It's just... as much as I hate that we're going to be apart, I... can't wait to get out into the big wide world on my own. Who knows... maybe I'll get bored at Harvard and transfer to Berkeley after a year. After all, by then I'll be 20 and really able to do what I want.”

He raised an eyebrow then with a smirk. “You got this all figured out don't you?”

“Mmm.... maybe. Why don't we plot some more while you show me this super cool thing you bought,” she grinned.

“Sounds like just as good a plan,” he smiled. “Let's get out of here.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

”There seems to be little hope. None of the lands outside our borders would hold any being who would be pure enough to help us. We are doomed.”

Aracon had reported to Moonraiser, the King of the Unicorn race, upon the events of the morning. They had gone over the possibilities for saving their kind many times, and still came up with the same inevitable conclusion. Because of the War, the countries bordering Mythologica would have nothing to do with the enchanted land, leaving them no alternatives.

“Everyone within our land believes and acknowledges the existence of magic. But they are also bound within our borders, under the same protection as we are. As the magic of this world ebbs, so shall their shields. If there is to be one to save us, they must be from outside Mythologica, and as a result resistant to our magic,” Aracon continued.

“And yet, they must still believe it exists,” Moonraiser asserted. He then turned to the one accompanying him on the throne. “And Senarin... how do your people fare?”

Beside Moonraiser, an extremely tall being, apparently human at a glance, sat perched on one arm of the massive throne upon which the Unicorn reclined. Waist-length, chestnut brown hair cascaded over his broad shoulders; glittering, oversized green eyes surveyed the scene carefully. As he brushed his hair aside, the eight-pointed Star of the Unicorn came into view on his forehead, not painted on, but somehow imprinted in the skin.

“We suffer as well. Our bodies may be humanlike, but within we too are Unicorn. I do not think the differences in our bodies will save us.”

Aracon bowed his head then, the forelock of his mane veiling his violet eyes. “And so...”

Senarin rose and walked over to Aracon, patting the Unicorn’s neck comfortingly.

“We’ll find him. Even if the Goddess brings him to us at the last moment of his life, we’ll find him. Somehow. He will be with us before She calls us home.”

“I just fear he’s been taken out of our lands... if so, he may already be long dead.”

“Hold to hope, Aracon. We’ll find your son. If I have to fly on Luminar’s back, I’ll see to that.”

Aracon raised his head then. “And what of the Chimera? What if it finds Tempest first? He won’t understand, won’t know why this beast pursues him. He knows nothing of his true people, may not have any grasp of the power he holds...” The Unicorn stamped a golden hoof in anguish.

“Aracon... peace. There is nothing more you can do until we find him... and even then, there’s no way of knowing what the humans have done to him. His mind and soul will probably be shattered... and even if we come out of this crisis, he may never truly be healed completely,” Moonraiser stated. “I sometimes wonder if bringing him back to us would be best. He may be torn apart by the truth of what he really is. Perhaps it is best if things are left as they are.”

Aracon tossed his head angrily, then reared up on to his hind legs, pawing the air with flashing hooves. “How _dare_ you condemn my son to death, when it was the Palace’s fault he was not protected! I wanted to bring his mother here, to birth him in safety. But I was voted against by Council... and now that he has suffered for your laws, you make judgment without knowing how he fares? To the Fires with the elders’ ways!” And with that, Aracon careened out of the Throne Room, mane and tail flying, snorting angrily. Senarin ran as fast as he could, but only arrived at the Palace gates in time to see Aracon disappearing down the path to the forest.

**Aracon -- the Chimera is out there! He’ll kill you if he finds you! Come back!** Senarin's mindvoice cried out to him frantically.

**If I die, I die. But at least I can die saying I did all I could to save my son from the Fates. Pray to the Goddess for a way to stop this madness... and if I do not return, pray to Her for my soul.** And then Aracon faded out of 'voice range, leaving Senarin staring into the setting sun, eyes filling with tears at the thought of losing yet another of his kin. He made his way to the Palace gardens, a place of solitude that the Palace denizens often turned to when times of retrospect were needed. Making sure no one was around, he raised a magical shield around the small clearing in a more remote part of the Gardens so that no one would disturb him.

Senarin drew within then, reaching into the deepest part of his mind, one that he had never shared with any of his Unicorn kin. Whereas others simply sent prayers to their Goddess, Senarin's tie to her was of a decidedly different make. As his body became still as one of the many decorative statues in the Gardens, he took his very soul in his figurative hands... and opened it completely, sending out a call to one he knew could possibly aid him... if, that was, too much damage hadn't already been done.

He felt the surge of energy even before he opened his emerald green eyes to the growing spark of light before him. The white aura grew larger, rainbow sparks dancing in and around it as the light began to take a definite shape. Even though he was in the midst of the most difficult of all telepathic communication, he made note with great concern that the light before him was taking much longer to fully materialize than it had before. Finally, he breathed a sigh of relief as the hologram-esque image of a beautiful woman, her pearlescent features and glistening, ankle-length, pure white hair became more defined, though not as clearly as he had always seen them before.

**You take the greatest of risks to call to me now, my dear child,** the woman asserted as she walked forward; she reached to embrace him, and they both were somewhat distressed when her arms passed through his body, her manifestation not quite complete.

**You are already feeling the effects of the damage to the Idol,** she confirmed. **Your summons does not bring me to full flesh as it always has.**

**It is as I feared, so I shall not keep you long,** he replied. **But we seek guidance... we need to know what it is we are looking for, or whom. We have worked out that we need to find a soul from outside our borders, one that believes and is open to all possibility. But too many of the lands within our reach have learned to fear or hate us. We do not have the time to travel elsewhere, and it would be too much of a risk to the few in numbers we have now.**

The Goddess Danicala stood before her most powerful disciple, the only one of his people who was powerful enough to bring forth her image. It was a gift that none of his kin knew of; the demands and consequences of a power so great harbored the potential to make him a near outcast to his own people. As such Danicala protected Senarin by swearing him to silence over his abilities.

**Our reach, I fear, must expand beyond our plane. We must search beyond the boundaries of our own time and space. We must, in the deepest of ironies, travel through the breach that the lost warrior Silver Light created. The Law of Circles demands that the one to save us must be from the world he entered, the one that now holds believers in the legends of the existence of our people due to his presence.**

Senarin's eyes widened then. **Silver Light never returned from this place. He has been lost for an age now, and our world has slowly died because of his insolence. To bring a soul from that world to save us would go beyond any reasoning we have.**

**Perhaps we must learn to look beyond reason. Perhaps it is time to learn that in order to survive, we must be open,** the Goddess replied. **I am in fear as well, as the protections to the world of my creation grow weak. I do not wish to see it destroyed... yet, my power also begins to dim. If we are to find a soul to help us, I must place the burden of sending out one to search upon you, my strongest child.**

Senarin had felt this would be the turn of events. For the Goddess herself to project her very soul into another Plane might as well be suicide with the state of their world's dwindling power. The hole that Silver Light had created healed, but very slowly. They'd had attacks before, the devastating Thousand Day War the worst and closest in memory, so close some wounds to the people of Mythologica had not yet fully healed.

**So be it. I shall send my spirit out to this strange world Silver Light has been lost to. The short visions I have seen of it when I have peered through the breach he left are confusing. There does not seem to be magic there, or if there is, it is not of the kind we know. But his appearances in the world's distant past have planted the seeds of belief. I only pray finding the one to aid us will not be a futile quest,** Senarin said.

The Goddess could feel the apprehension in his voice and soul. **Dear one, I believe in your gifts. I know you shall be safe. You shall find them, and I shall make the final choice and usher them in. But we shall have to be swift. We may not be able to bring them to the Palace. The Palace's magic would react and allow it to be known that they are here. When the time comes, we shall see where it is best to let them enter.**

Senarin didn't like the sound of letting a soul from a completely different world – a world which, from what he'd seen, was as far different from Mythologica as it could possibly be – be dropped into their world and forced to fend for themselves. The Unicorn needed to stay near to the Palace now, the energy it held keeping them alive as long as possible. If his race, both the two- and four-legged, were to succumb to the loss of their life force, Mythologica would stand little chance of the rest of its people surviving. But if he didn't find that willing soul, the result would be the same...

He came back from his thoughts when the image of Danicala began to flicker before him as a candle with a waning wick becomes dim of flame.

**I must return for now,** she confirmed, her image growing more dim as moments passed. **I shall guide you as best I can from afar, and return to you again when it is time to bring in the soul you have found. Speak of this to no one until they are within our world, so as not to give false hope.**

Senarin nodded then, moving from his seated position on the bench to one knee. **As you decree, my Lady. I shall do my best in service to you.**

**As ever you do,** she replied, her voice almost affectionate as her image faded rapidly; when Senarin looked up again, the only light bathing the Gardens was that of the newly-risen moon.

He sat in silence for a while, hearing only the chirping of the night birds and creatures that called the Gardens home. Regenerating as best he could, he decided rather than wait, he would begin his search this night.

_Silver Light, you old fool_ , he thought to himself as he partook of a pair of the sweet apples that grew upon the tree whose branches stretched out above him, adding to the strength he would need.  _You didn't believe the warnings that you would damage our world. I think, should you ever return, you will have much to do to make amends for your folly. Unlike most, I still hope for your return, if only to understand why you would take such a risk._

Finishing the apples, he settled into his seat on the bench. Again drawing within, this time he pictured in his mind a place in the wooded area near the Sun-comes up border of Mythologica. It was there, so long ago now, that Silver Light had, after many attempts he was continually warned not to make, that the Unicorn had finally opened a portal to another world. Senarin remembered the day like it was yesterday, rather than more than a century past. He had been young then... too young for the elder Unicorn to listen to as he cried out for Silver Light to not break through the portal. Senarin had sent frantically, calling to the Golden Horn Guard... but could only watch helplessly as Silver Light disappeared through it, the edges crackling with energy, the middle rippling like the surface of a pond, affording him only a brief glimpse of the world beyond it. Senarin shuddered as he remembered the sound of his own world being wounded; he'd thought he would never hear it again, until the day the Idol was desecrated. If it was in reality Danicala's scream of pain he wasn't sure he wanted to know, lest it break his heart too much.

Instead of his mind calling out, this time Senarin's very spirit rose from his body. As it stood before the portal, only visible to those who held the power to see it, he saw the familiar glow just off to his left. Danicala's spirit reached out, taking his hand and infusing him with as much protection as she could spare.

**Step just inside now,** she guided him. **You shall see the strange world, and then open your spirit to receive the call of any who would answer. I believe there are many more people in this world than there are here, so our chance of finding the One, or more, may be better than we think.**

Senarin tried to push back the fear then, holding to Danicala's spirit-hand as the rest of him stepped through the portal. He emerged on a hill overlooking what appeared to be some kind of strange city, but with buildings tall and shaped as he'd never seen. Far beyond it was a great expanse of water, perhaps a deep blue ocean; he had never seen one before, only hearing stories of them told by travelers that came to Mythologica long before the breach, passed down through the oldest of the Unicorn elders. He read the souls in the place he could see, and nearly recoiled in horror.

**They are all Humans!** he cried out to her. **Not a single kind of any other life. The animals here are not of the kind we have in our world... they do not speak, they do not bear any equal to us. And I do not feel a wisp of magic, nor a single Unicorn or Elvish soul,** he told her, panic rising within him.

**Peace, my dear one. You were led to the place you have come to because somewhere, within this great city, the One we seek shall be found. It is of no consequence their race. As long as they Believe, they may be our best and only chance.**

Senarin sighed heavily, the feel of this world – full of confusion, reeking of war and embattlement, though far off from where he'd entered it – giving him little hope that the souls they needed were there. But as he reached out further, he began to separate the confusing and often quite dense Human souls into ones that had the potential to Believe, and those that did not. He was just about to give up hope all together, when suddenly, he felt the tiniest of sparks.

**Goddess! Someone has taken up a talisman... one that holds a small spark linked to our world. It may have been something that Silver Light himself enchanted, though the presence is too faint to tell for certain. There may yet be hope, as you have assured me.**

Danicala sent forth more of her strength, giving Senarin as much protection as she could without risking herself as well.

**Follow it, dear one,** she implored him. **We may yet have found our hope.**

 


	4. Chapter 4

It was a decent walk to Ian's house from Ryan's, with Ian living in an area that wasn't quite as well-to-do as Ryan's family. Ryan could have used her car, but that would have meant getting the third degree from the head maid of the house, Loreen, who Ryan suspected also doubled as her mother's spy, reporting back to Ryan's mother pretty much everything Ryan did while they were away. It was for this reason that Ryan often slipped off on her own; the house staff was usually so busy with the laundry list of things her mother had left for them to do, her lack of presence wasn't noticed for hours.

As she walked with Ian, holding his hand as they always did as soon as they were out of her neighborhood, she reflected yet again on how different, yet alike, they really were. Ryan was known as one of the “preppies”, Ian a “metalhead”. But both of them fought to rail against the stereotypes they were put into: Ian, with his rank as Salutatorian of his class, was the smartest and most level-headed of his friends, several of whom had ranked near the bottom of the class or were headed to summer school; Ryan, to be open to friendships with more than just the popular (which actually meant rich) girls, the group that scoffed at Ian's circle. He'd teased her more than once that they were like a 1980's Romeo and Juliet; little did he know that Ryan was currently basing a novel on their life, his joking words spurring yet another creative spark within her. He always inspired her, whether it was through his music, the amazing drawings and paintings he did of fantasy characters and ridiculously lifelike portraits, or the fantastic rock opera and accompanying novel he'd written that, it had turned out, had gotten him the admission to Berkeley with a major in music and minor in English.

As they headed into the parking lot of an ice cream stand, Ryan sighed inwardly as the last part of her train of thought reminded her of how they would be separated in less than three months. Ian always had girls interested in him; whether her mother believed it or not, even the “preppies” daydreamed over rock stars. And Ryan was sure Ian would be one. Where he was going, he was sure to find someone else before they could be reunited...

“---your usual or... hey? You listening to me?”

Ryan blinked out of her thoughts. “Huh? Oh... Yeah, I think a cone would work best since we're going to keep walking.” Ian frowned at her unusually vague response, but turned to the window to order Ryan's favorite, a swirled cone with sprinkles, as he got his own milkshake. As usual, he wouldn't let Ryan pay for hers; their jaunts for ice cream were the closest thing to an actual date the two had gone on, along with the occasional stop for lunch at a diner or other out of the way place where they wouldn't be bothered by their school friends. Both of them were often given a hard time by their respective circles of friends for seeing each other, however innocent the courtship was: Ian, for going for a “boring preppie girl”; Ryan, for being interested in someone perceived as way below her league.

The ice cream stand was nearer to where Ian lived so they headed there, turning down a shady street with respectable homes that were much smaller than Ryan's. She found his neighborhood much more personable; children played outside, and several of Ian's neighbors said hello to them from porches and front yards as they walked by.

As they walked up onto the wooden porch of Ian's modest home, the daughter of the neighbor next door, dressed similarly to Ian, came running from her yard up to the porch.

“Ian! Your sister told me about Berkeley! Congratulations!!” She grabbed him in a tight hug, nearly bowling him over; Ryan was almost certain the interaction was more than a bit exaggerated – especially when the girl gave Ian a big kiss on the cheek, then peered over Ian's shoulder to see if Ryan was watching.

“Thanks Kristen, I'm pretty excited about it,” he said modestly, his face flushing as she stepped back. “You still looking to get in there next year?”

“Yeah, I'll be a year behind you if I get in but at least I'll be there. You'll have to let me know how it is.”

He nodded with a sheepish smile. “I will...” Just then, completely unplanned, the bottom of Ryan's ice cream cone sprung a leak, leading her to murmur an “oh crap” as she held it out away from her shirt. Ian's attention diverted to her and he couldn't suppress a laugh.

“Whoops, let's get a bowl to throw that in,” he said, the wink he shot at Ryan as he turned to her a silent thank you for the impromptu rescue. “See you later Krissy,” he said over his shoulder; out of the corner of her eye Ryan saw the girl cross her arms, annoyed, as Ian led her inside.

They went into the kitchen and Ian grabbed a bowl for her to dump the rapidly melting ice cream and cone into. He paused to read a note left on the table. “Ah, Mom and Dad took Jenny and Nicole to the party and are going to stay for a bit. Neither of them had to work today so at least they get a break too. So we are on our own. There's some burgers in the freezer we can throw on the grill later.” He playfully gave Ryan an eyebrow wiggle and she broke into giggles, the playful implication of being alone in the house not lost on her.

They headed upstairs to Ian’s room, which was situated in the attic of his parents’ two-bedroom home. The attic room had come out of necessity; one sister had taken up residence in the finished basement because of the Carlsson family’s inability to afford a larger home, mostly due to to saving up to send their children to college; with Ian's mother a registered nurse, and his father owning a contracting business they lived comfortably but worked hard for what comforts they had.

Ian had, however, succeeded in making the attic his own. He’d worked with his father to put in real walls, paint, and basically turn what had been a bunch of beams and tattered insulation into a livable space. Of course, one couldn’t see the meticulously-painted walls for all the pinups of rock bands culled from _Metal Edge_ magazines and posters bought at various record stores -- and, Ryan noted with more than passing interest, more than a few drawings done by Ian of dragons, sorcerers, and swordsmen. In one corner near the front windows – the “room” encompassed pretty much the entire attic – was Ian's music space, with two electric and one acoustic guitar and a keyboard he'd saved up to buy with money from his job at a pizzeria. Ryan mused that he probably could have bought himself a decent car with how much the four instruments cost, but he'd rather have instruments than have a ride when buses were cheap, walking cheaper and a bike pretty fast for getting to work on time. It was yet another stark difference in the way the pair thought about things.

“Check this out. This totally rocks. I saw it at Outland like four months ago, and started paying on it little by little. I finally got to bring it home yesterday.” Ian then placed on the card table he usually used for homework and songwriting, an ornately-carved box which appeared to be straight out of a medieval castle’s decor. Ryan opened it delicately, and found that the inside of the box was a purple and blue chess board; in velvet-lined wells on each end of the box rested purple and blue sets of chess pieces. On closer inspection, the chess pieces turned out to be fantasy characters: An elven queen and king, dragons, and, among other things, unicorns for the knights.

“The purple ones are purple-dyed agate, and the blue ones are lapis. It just totally rocked. I had to have it,” Ian gushed. “I don't know, it was just really cool...” He paused then, as he almost always did when he felt that he was getting a bit too excited over something he felt Ryan might find silly. He did it nearly every time something excited him, be it a new album he loved, or something as important to him as this. What he didn't realize was that it was one of the things Ryan loved about him the most. She picked up a few of the pieces, inspecting them closely; they were obviously hand-carved and the entire set was truly a work of art.

“No... really, it's beautiful. It seems like it should be in an art museum or something,” she said, her tone reassuring, affectionate. Her smile then turned slightly challenging. “The question is, do you know how to play?” Ryan asked.

“Oh yeah. My dad used to compete in tournaments. I was in the chess club at school, and I’m gonna sign up for the one in Berkeley.”

“I didn’t know you were in the chess club. If I’d known, I’d have joined.”

“As if you have sooooo much free time, Ryan,” Ian reminded her.

She snorted amusedly then, knowing as usual that he was right; she playfully cuffed his shoulder in response. “Whatever. Want to play a game or two?”

“Sure. I haven’t used it yet, so it will be a nice way to christen it.”

“All right, but be ready to get your ass kicked,” she threatened with a grin, to which he snorted in response.

“Yeah yeah, we'll see. I didn't finish the year the highest scoring member of the team for nothing, you know.”

Ryan smiled then as she arranged the blue pieces on the board. “I heard you like to score,” she teased with a wink and barely suppressed laughter, inducing a gasp on his part. “After all you did say we're alone here...”

“Hey now! Don't be giving me a reputation!” he shot back even as he dissolved into laughter at her flirty but obvious joke. The farther away Ryan was from her family, the more of her sassy personality came out; it was, in turn, one of the things he loved about her the most. As he laid out the purple set of chess pieces on his side of the board, he wondered if the short pair of months they had before they parted ways would be enough for him to see even more of it.

 

 

 

~Look through the window... see the souls I see. As much as I have tried to look elsewhere, my heart and mind are drawn back to them. And they have talismans before them that show them to be those who believe. Look at the artisan works on the walls; they depict the dwellers of our world.~”

~They are but children...~ There was hesitation in the Goddess' voice.

~But even children appear to be strong here. And I feel a deep Bond between them as well. If we are to take anyone, I believe it must be both. They compliment each other, and their combined strength may well be what we need.~

~I know... I just fear taking them from all they know at such a young age may irreparably scar them. And they have no idea they can never go back... to return their spirits would be to re-open the wound Silver Light created. The only Circle that the Portal must complete is to be wounded, and then closed. The risk is too great to start over,~ the Goddess countered.

Senarin felt a deep regret as he watched the two Humans, completely unaware of his presence in the far corner of the strange room that vaguely resembled the wooden homes of the Human villages in Mythologica, though he didn't understand most of the strange pictures on the walls – save for those that bore familiar figures. Even more familiar were the tiny statues the Humans seemed to be using to play some kind of game; there was no mistaking the Unicorn-shaped pieces they moved across the strangely-patterned board.

~We will find ways to shield them from the pain of not being able to return. It is said that Silver Light cannot return from here, if he still lives, because his memory of his world has faded, though we don't know that to be entirely true. The Portals often bring down such things upon one who passes that does not protect themselves. Perhaps it will be so for them as well,~ Senarin replied hopefully.

~Regardless, we must act swiftly. I feel my strength beginning to wane, and the Portal must be closed in due haste, lest the Chimera find it. If we were to be lost between here and there...~

~Then open the door. The talisman rests before both of them. The Fates have made the choice for us. We must follow what they say,~ Senarin emplored Her.

~I agree... but you must promise to hold to me should I slip,~ She replied.

His response was emphatic. ~You know I shall. I always have.~ And with that, he grasped her hand tightly as he felt the Goddess' magic begin to flow through him as they began to build the bridge between Portal and the Humans' strange world...

 

 

 

“Aw hell. How did I miss that??? Dammit Ian, remind me never to play you again.”

Ryan was not faring well in her games against Ian -- in fact, of the four they’d played, she hadn’t won a single one.

“Maybe you’re just rusty. You said you haven’t played in a while.”

“Whatever... I want one more rematch.” Ryan began to rearrange her pieces to their starting positions, picking up one of the blue Unicorn knights. Just then, a blue flash illuminated the room, then was gone.

“What was _that?_ Ian asked, looking about. “It’s sunny out, it couldn’t have been lightning.”

“Did a lightbulb blow out? You had the light over the fish tank on...”

Ian walked over to check -- no, it was fine. “That was _really_ weird.” As Ian seated himself back at the table, Ryan retrieved the knight to finish positioning her pieces. The room was again filled with a blue flash, but this time, it did not subside -- and Ryan found she could not release the knight from her hand.

“Ohmygod Ian... I can’t let this go! What’s happening??”

“I don--”

Before them, a shimmering blue cloud formed, floating over the floor toward them. Ian thought he saw the shape of a tall, fragile-looking woman within it, but couldn’t be totally sure...

Ryan's shriek of terror broke him from his confusion and his own heart jumped into his throat as the vision of the woman materialized further, along with the second shape of an impossibly tall, muscular humanoid with eyes that Ian thought looked like those of aliens in science fiction movies, and knee-length reddish hair. The woman moved toward Ryan, the man toward Ian, neither finding that they could move from their places at the table. Ian tried to scream for help but found his ability to speak had left him completely; Ryan, equally immobile, was sobbing uncontrollably. Ian nearly passed out from terror as the woman took Ryan's hands and began pulling her forward, the air around her rippling as she pulled Ryan through what appeared to be some sort of portal. Ian felt his mouth forming the word “no” as he broke down in tears, then found his own wrists clasped tightly by the alien man's huge hands.

_You will not lose her, this I promise on my own life. But this must be done..._ Ian looked up into the alien eyes as he felt the pull, the air around him shimmering as if he were being dragged underwater – his last thought, random in his complete horror, that this must be an alien abduction before his world went black.

Senarin was having a very hard time holding on to both of the Humans, who had lost consciousness from a level of fear he had not anticipated. Apparently, believing didn't mean they were prepared to find the things they believed in were real.

~I do not have the power to bring them to the Palace without being detected. I must use what I have left to close the Portal. Take them as close as you can to the Palace. They will have to find their way,~ the Goddess implored him.

The astral version of Senarin's being carried the two Humans as far as he could, until he was flying over a vast field of rainbow-colored flowers, the beginning of the final journey to the Palace. He finally had to give up and deposited them in the field, his body frantically calling his spirit back within him lest he lose it and become as ephemeral as the Goddess herself. With a last look to make sure the Humans lived – indeed, they did – he hoped they would find the help they needed from Mythologica's dwellers, as he dare not venture out beyond the Palace walls again.

He returned to his body with a start; it was dawn, and he realized he had been gone most of the night. Weary and starving, he reached up to pluck four of the sweet apples from the tree to replenish his strength enough to retreat into the Palace walls. He hoped the magic used to bring the Humans in hadn't been felt too intensely, especially by the Chimera, but it was a risk they'd had to take. He would more than likely bring down the wrath of the Elders and the King if they knew he had taken part in such a dangerous undertaking, and even more so if they found out he was able to directly speak to, and have contact with, their patron Goddess and had not informed them of his gifts.

As he devoured the last apple, the regret again settled into his being. The Humans would have everything they knew slowly taken from them, and if they survived, they would never be able to leave the world they'd been brought to. He sent a silent prayer to the Goddess, whose presence was wholly unreachable once more, that the Humans' road to helping save this land would be mercifully swift and without much strife, even as he knew deep down that would be one prayer that would be impossible for even a Goddess to honor.

 


	5. Chapter 5

_Damn, why is it so hot in this room? Did our central air go out?_

Ryan fumbled around, trying to find the edge of her bed to haul herself up. In her half-awake state she was even more confused when she felt not bedsheets and her comforter, but what felt like someone had heaped straw on her bed. As she felt herself wake up further, she finally opened her eyes then sat bolt upright, blinking as they adjusted to the bright sunlight. She heard a groan then, and looked to her left to see Ian slowly sitting up, eyes still closed as well; his reaction was exactly as hers was when he opened them.

They were in a field full of every color and type of wildflower imaginable, with a royal blue, cloudless sky above them. They both at first couldn't remember what had happened, and then it hit Ian first in a flood of memory. The... aliens? Were they on another planet? The male one said that “this must be done”.

“Where the hell are we?” Ryan finally said, startling Ian out of his thoughts. “Who were those two people?”

“Did the woman say anything to you?” Ian asked her. “The man or whatever he was promised on his life I wouldn't lose you, but that 'this must be done'. Then he started dragging me through like she did to you.”

“She said something... about us being the ones who believe and that our strength was needed,” Ryan replied. “I don't remember anything else after that either.”

Ian stood up then, wincing a bit as he found himself a bit stiff from either a fall or from being there for quite some time. He looked around; off in the distance to his left appeared to be the edge of a forest that seemed to lead a huge mountain range; to his right, just as far off in the distance, more forest. The mountain peaks were sharp and for the most part covered in what looked like forests with some patches of rainbow-like colors mixed in. The air around them was hot but not very humid; the sky above them was nearly cloudless and an unnaturally deep royal blue that made Ian think of a guitar he particularly liked with that color glitter finish in the music store back home.

“Those mountains are old,” Ian remarked. “You can tell by all the trees on them. I bet they were a lot higher at one time. This field seems to be some kind of foothill.” he turned to look ahead and behind him; ahead, more forest; behind, the mountain range seemed to curve, wrapping around much farther down, distant enough to be shrouded in the mists that denoted probably more forests in the foothills, and that they were considerably farther away. He almost felt that the field they were in may have had some kind of structure in it at one time, or possibly even a village.

“Ian... enough with the landscaping lesson. Where the hell are we? And how the hell do we get home? And how the hell did we get here in the first place?” Ryan had been looking around, more and more questions forming in her mind and was close to hysterics, causing Ian to grab her by the shoulders and hold her still until he could talk her down to a more coherent state.

“I’m sure there’s an explanation for this. I’m sure there’s a way we can get home. All we have to do is find -- holy shit!!!”

Ryan’s eyes followed Ian’s to the sky, where a massive, winged, purple shape had emerged from the trees on one of the mountains, and was now coasting the air currents high above. As the late afternoon sun hit it, the creature glittered, the purple hide offset by an overlay sheen of gold. It circled closer and began to descend... and Ian caught a glimpse of a jawfull of saber-like teeth in a decidedly reptilian head.

“Ryan -- we gotta run! Into those trees... I... I think that’s a dragon, and I think it may have spotted us!!!”

“A _what?_ I--” Ryan’s words cut off as Ian hauled her to her feet, urging her to run toward the closest of the forest tree lines in their field of vision. Glances behind revealed the dragon following; Ian wasn’t sure, but he could have sworn there was a rider atop the dragon’s back.

They made it to the stand of trees, going deep inside to where the branches high above them were so interlocked the sun could not peek through, leaving the darkening woods around them shrouded in greenish light. They cowered in a small hedgerow, finding a hollow that appeared to have been cleared by an animal as a sleeping place.

“The trees above us are pretty thick. Hopefully it lost us,” Ian reassured Ryan, who was trembling in his arms as he attempted to comfort her.

“But what about whatever is in this forest? How do we know there aren't wild animals that will come after us?” she replied.

“Well... we dont... but I'm going to worry about that when and if it happens. If we just stay here for a bit till the coast is clear, maybe we can find a trail or path to follow.”

“The sun looked like it was getting close to setting though... if it gets dark...” Ryan shuddered again.

“Hey... don't worry. I've been camping enough with my dad to know that if you stay in one spot and are quiet, usually you don't get bothered. We've found a good hiding place. It might suck to have to sleep here but it's better than trying to wander around where we would run head first into something.”

Ryan sighed then. “Yeah... you're right...”

Ian gave her a squeeze then, his arms wrapped around her protectively. For a long time, the woods were calm, but as it grew darker, despite his best efforts to remain outwardly calm to keep Ryan from panicking, Ian began to feel very uneasy. Night sounds began to emerge, some familiar, some quite foreign. Around them, the bushes began to glitter with fireflies, the only light in the near to pitch-black woods. Ian absently noted that at any other time, the display would have been pretty, even romantic, but this was the last thing on either of their minds; in fact, Ryan had her face buried in Ian's shoulder as she cuddled to him, not even seeing the tiny points of light filling the air around their hiding place or within the leafy coverage above them.

“Ian... I’m scared,” Ryan whispered, her voice laced with tears. “What if that dragon comes back?”

“It's probably too dark for it to see anything down here now, and we're way under the trees,” he whispered back. “We should be safe now... oh shit...”

The woods outside of their hiding place had taken on a faint glow, which Ian recognized as torchlight from his forays into the woods when camping with his family. Someone was coming... and more than likely, whoever -- or whatever -- it was knew they were there. Ryan huddled closer to Ian, who tried desperately to quiet her frightened sobbing.

The creature carrying the torch emerged into the small clearing, and Ian could scarcely believe what he saw. The creature was tiny, probably shorter than even Ryan, but definitely male in build. Its head looked like the many drawings of aliens Ian had seen in his time -- A sort of oversized head, definitely oversized, almost cat-shaped eyes, and a tiny nose and mouth; this being looked even more like the classic aliens from sci-fi than the being that had brought Ian to this place. Glossy black hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail -- which revealed huge, gracefully tapered ears -- _elf_ ears.

“Humans... I know you there. We know you there. You come out, tell why you here in our Holt,” the Elf called, in broken speech.

Ian called out from their hiding place in response. “We don’t know how we got here. We were in my room, playing chess, and all of a sudden a blue woman and a tall man with big green eyes came and took us -- and dumped us here.”

The Elf spiked the torch into the ground, its lower altitude illuminating the pair huddled in the hedgerow. The flames caught the Elf’s eyes, which glowed like smooth, round sapphires in the light.

“Goddess Choose you? From other place? I hear of such things, never believe. Goddess no take from other places,” the Elf replied.

“But how could we make something like that up?” Ian countered. “If we’re not from here, how would we know that?”

“I not care where you from. I know you Human. Human kill Elf.”

“No!” Ryan whimpered. “We’re not going to kill you. We just want to get home.”

The Elf was about to respond when a sound from behind alerted him, accompanied by another torch. Another Elf, also male, made its way into the clearing. For a few moments, the two stared at each other, though Ian had the feeling there was some sort of communication going on. Finally, the second Elf -- this one more muscular, with short-cropped, dark, curly hair -- crouched down to have a look at the two frightened strangers. He spoke to the other Elf in their native tongue, appearing to gesture to their clothes and way of speaking. The first Elf seemed convinced and stepped back, appearing to defer to the other. The second Elf’s attention then turned back to the pair.

“You say Goddess Chose you. She bring you here for something. Unicorn would know why. You must go to them.”

“Unicorn? How do we find them?” Ian asked.

“You go, make way through these woods. Find the biggest mountain, with Palace on top. That where they are.”

“Is it far?” Ryan asked.

“Maybe eight of days for Elf. Maybe shorter for Human, Human have bigger steps.”

“Eight days! We have no food, water, nothing. No weapons to protect ourselves... how the hell are we supposed to walk for eight days, then climb a mountain to boot?” Ian shot back incredulously.

The Elf rose, seeming indifferent to that part of their problem. “I tell you what I can. I no help you any more. No trust Humans. You need to go, you go alone.”

Ian was just about to protest when both Elves stopped short, both apparently snapping to attention as yet another Elf came into the clearing, illuminated by the torchlight. This one, Ian noted, seemed to speak with even more authority and indeed, both of them stepped back a pace or two as this Elf – all in black, with thick curly hair that appeared to be brown, and hazel-gold eyes – came right up to the opening of their hiding place, crouching down. It was then that Ian realized he had something bundled into a cloth in his hands.

“My War-brothers say you tell of being brought here from a strange place. Is this true?” the Elf asked, speaking in a language they could understand much more fluently.

“Yes,” Ian replied. “They wouldn't tell us why, only that it had to be done. A tall woman enveloped in blue light and a tall man who looked... sort of like you guys, but without the ears. I don't think he was an Elf.”

The Elf angled his head, eyes narrowing a bit when he realized Ian knew what he was. “There have been stories for an age or more saying that one Unicorn traveled to a different world where there were people who believed, and that it caused our world to begin to die when he left a hole between them. Now, our world dies more every day, and you are saying that you have come from another place. I think you may be here for a reason, maybe the Unicorn have Chosen you for some task. You must find them. If you face Sun-comes-up, then turn to your sword-hand (here, the Elf motioned with his right hand), that is the direction you must go. You will know which mountain it is. It will be taller than the others, you will not be able to see the top as it is always veiled in clouds. The Unicorn live there.”

Ian sighed then; Ryan had ventured a peek at the Elf, her tear-stained face catching the torchlight. The Elf noticed the movement and peered at her; Ian was certain his face softened very slightly.

“I can give you no more of our people's trust. If I was not able to see that you are not warriors, your hearts would have already met my blade.” He held out the bundle he had been holding to Ian, who took it; from what he could feel, there was possibly something edible inside. “Find the mountain. You will know more once you do.” The Elf rose then, stepping backward slowly; Ian noticed he was not only watching them, but the Elf's hand instinctively went to the hilt of a sword that even in its scabbard, appeared to be quite broad of blade. Ian had no doubt the Elf really could -- and would -- kill them with very little effort.

“Thank you...” Ian ventured; the Elf seemed caught off guard by this, the other two Elves that had stood guard casting an equally skeptical glance at each other. The Elf who'd given them the bundle gave them a barely imperceptible nod; he then seemed to use whatever silent communication they utilized to speak to the other two and they turned in unison, leaving the one torch that was spiked into the ground near the entrance to the hollow, and nothing more.

Ian opened the bundle to find a pile of what appeared to be freshly-picked blackberries. He wondered if the Elf had been carrying them back for his people, or if they had been traveling and had given up some of their rations. He was starving, and they smelled amazing, so he reached in to pick one up, raising it to his mouth.

“Wait!” Ryan said, grabbing his wrist. “What if they're poisonous? What if they want to kill us since they don't trust us?”

Ian stopped then, realizing Ryan had a good point. He thought it over for a few moments. “These looked like they were bundled to be carried back somewhere... and to be honest, they were all armed, especially that last one. If they wanted to kill us, I think they'd have done it a lot more quickly,” he mused. “I'm starving though...”

Just then, a rabbit came into the clearing, snuffling about in the grass outside the hollow. Ian looked at it, then to the berry in his hand; he then tossed it out to the rabbit.

“Well little bunny... sorry to do this to you but...”

Ryan gasped. “Ian! What if it dies?”

“Then we don't eat the berries,” Ian replied.

The rabbit made its way over to the berry, sniffing at it then taking a bite. It proceeded to eat the entire thing, then snuffled about in the grass looking for another for a few minutes. When it didn't find any more of the unexpected delicacy, it loped off into the shadows on the other side of the clearing.

“Well... here goes nothing,” Ian said, tossing one of the berries into his mouth before Ryan could protest. He saw her turn a bit more pale in the torchlight as he swallowed. The berry didn't taste rotten or odd; after a few moments, he ate another.

“I think they're safe. I don't know... somehow, that third Elf seemed to be slightly more lenient. I'm not sure why. He seemed a bit more... I know street-wise is probably not a term that fits here, but yeah.”

Ryan was finally too hungry to hold back from trying the berries any longer. She found they tasted more or less like the blackberries back home, and soon, she and Ian were eating as many as they could; eventually, the bundle was empty.

“Well... that helped a little... let's try to get some sleep,” he said, lying down on his side and cuddling Ryan to him protectively. “We'll see what we can figure out in the morning about finding this mountain.” Ryan settled into his arms, still terrified but feeling safe for the moment. If there was anyone she would have to face something like this with, she was glad it was with Ian. The thought faded out as she finally succumbed to the need for sleep, her head nestled against his chest, comforted by the one thing she had ever been completely sure of.

 


	6. Chapter 6

Ian and Ryan had somehow managed to sleep a bit during the night, albeit sporadically, their prayers to be left alone by whatever was lurking in the forest answered. Now, as the sky faded from night-black to the purple-to-blue of pre-dawn, Ian emerged from their hiding place and stretched, peering at their surroundings. Even if the direction of the brightening sky behind the mountains wasn’t called “East” here, Ian decided that’s what it would be. Now, they just needed to find the highest mountain in the range, and hope it had the palace the Elf had spoken about atop it.

A glance down found Ryan still fitfully dozing, so Ian decided to climb the tree near their makeshift den to get a better view of the area. Feeling around the trunk, finding it full of craggy places to hang on to, Ian stepped back a few paces and hopped up, grasping a low, heavy branch and hoisting himself up onto it.

“Where are you going?” Ryan’s voice questioned from below him. He looked down to find her brushing the leaves from her jeans and T-shirt, running a hand through her hair in a vain attempt to straighten it.

“Up here, to see if there’s any water nearby. If we can’t find any more food, at least we can get that. Unless we find more of the ones the Elf gave us I don’t know if we should try eating any of the berries and stuff here -- there’s no way to know if they’re the same here as they are at home.”

“Well, don’t be too long... it’s not like I could kick something’s ass if it came for me.”

Ian smirked as he hoisted himself up to the next branch. “Oh, I dunno... you’re pretty tough, for a chick.”

“Whatever. Just hurry,” she snapped, her nervousness coming through in her reply.

“I’ll do my best. This tree is awful high.”

Ian continued up the tree, peering through the branches here and there, only to be met by a wall of leaves. He kept going, then finally saw the sky through the green canopy above him. Poking his head through it, he looked around... and saw...

Treetops. An endless carpet of them that extended up and over the mountains, down the entire range. If there was water out there, it was hidden... but with their proximity to the mountains, he knew they’d find something eventually. For where there were high places, gravity worked to pull water down.

Ian stopped short at that. His father had told him that, long ago, when he was a child, while they’d been hiking in the woods. It suddenly hit him that he might never see his father again...

_No. We’ll get out of here. We have to. Believe, Ian, believe._

Clearing his head, Ian resumed his purpose. He scanned the mountain range in both directions, but to him, all the mountains looked about the same size, with none rising any higher that the others. In fact, there was nothing remarkable about the green world; the only exception was the massive field of flowers they’d landed in upon their arrival.

A noise alerted him; he suddenly realized it was Ryan, calling him. Her voice was faint, and Ian suddenly realized how high up he’d gone. Remembering his father’s advice once again -- “just look for the next branch, and not for the ground” -- Ian avoided the fear of falling as he slowly picked his way back down the tree toward the ground. He was met by Ryan as he alighted -- and she was none too happy.

“There’s something out there... it sounds big. It’s over there somewhere,” she said, pointing behind her.

“Well, you shouldn’t have been calling me! It will let whatever it is know we're here. Come on... let’s move. I couldn’t really see anything from up there. We’re going to have to go up one of these mountains to see the land better.”

“Oh that's just lovely. And me without my pickax.”

“It won’t be that bad. Forested mountains always have lots of trails. We’re not talking about Everest here.” Ian tried very hard to keep his demeanor on an even keel. For as bright as Ryan was, her most unfortunate trait was the short-fuse temper she’d inherited from her mother -- the one that got triggered whenever she was frustrated... or afraid. Ian knew that if he fired back, she’d withdraw -- the reflex she’d learned from her mother's even more caustic reactions when Ryan dared to attempt to stand up to her. And they needed to work together now.

“All right. Listen to me here. We are going to get out of this. If this land lays out like the land at home, we’re going to find water if we go up the mountain. There will be streams. And if there were... if there’s other people here, I’m sure we’ll find someone to help us eventually. Those... Elves knew we were Humans. That means there have to be others here,” Ian assured her.

“Whatever. I’m starving again, those berries really didn't hold me very long. We need to find some food.”

“I know. But like I said, I’m not sure we can trust the plants here... I don’t know what to tell you, Ryan. But we need to get moving, or we won’t find a damn thing.”

 

 

 

Aracon had felt the breaching of the protective shields around his home; he’d remembered the feeling all too well from when Silver Light had pierced them. Without the Idol to fill the Unicorns’ minds with what their Goddess had chosen to do, he could not be sure of why the breach had occurred. But he had a feeling that Danicala had opened the Portal again, reaching out to the world Silver Light had found when he’d opened the Portal himself.

He’d thought of it after he’d spoken with Moonraiser and Senarin, while he’d been trotting down the path leading away from the Palace. They would have to reach out beyond the plane of their existence, to another place, to find souls untarnished by the myths and folk tales. Innocent souls who believed anything was -- or could -- be possible. He’d thought of asking one of the Chosen Ones, those few who had been given an earthly touch to the Unicorn Goddess. But it seemed Danicala had taken matters into her own hands, at least to his knowledge.

In safer times, She would have deposited them directly into the Palace Throne Room. But now, keeping the breach open for very long threatened the very existence of this world -- every second it was open, another bit of protection was used up. So he was quite sure whoever she’d retrieved had been left to fend for themselves, and with the Chimera about, that was not the best of situations. So now it seemed he was, by default, elected to go after them. He was already out here, having made his decision to search for the son that had been abducted by Humans more than one hundred years previous. So what were two more lost souls? _Quite a bit, actually,_ he thought to himself as he paused at a babbling brook, careful this time to sniff at the water before tasting it.

But where to begin? There was no way to know where in this land they’d been left. He could have consulted the Star Pool, the mirror-like pool of water in the Palace that showed the Unicorn all parts of their world -- that is, if he hadn’t left the Palace before thinking things through… or hadn’t left at all. So now, he had to rely on the voices of the forest, his nose... and more than a bit of luck. And it was all he could do to hope that at least one of the three would come through.

A rustle in the trees behind him brought the Unicorn up short; he stood immobile, sniffing the light breeze and after a moment, catching a familiar scent.

~It is I, Aracon of the Unicorn. I mean you no harm, Elf.~

The same Elf with the heavy broadsword that had given Ian and Ryan the berries the night before emerged from a tight group of bushes with the same berries on them, another sack mostly full.

~I am surprised to see you out here, away from the mountains, Dragonheart,~ Aracon asserted.

**We have stepped our patrols since the Chimera was spotted. And just before Sun-goes-down last, we saw something unusual: there were two Humans in the field at the base of the Dragonriders' range of Holt-Mountains. Stardragon saw them and followed them until they ran into the woods. It took us a while on foot, it was dark before we located them.**

~And what of them? Did you slay them?~

**No. Stardragon and Stormdragon wanted to, but I sensed something different about them. They claim they were brought here from another world. They seemed to describe what may have been a Unicorn Immortal, and... if I didn't know better, Danicala herself. The male said that they were pulled through by them and left here.**

Aracon felt a chill run through him then. So one of the Chosen may have indeed summoned them, but which one? He knew they existed, but very often the Unicorn kept their identities a secret, their sacred link to the Goddess something only an elite few were allowed to witness.

~I assume you offered them no help,~ Aracon replied. He couldn't begrudge the warrior's mistrust of Humans, but he also knew Dragonheart to be a bit more just than the other members of his squadron of War-brothers. He wasn't surprised the Elf had not, nor allowed his warriors to, kill the two Humans on sight.

**We told them how to find the Palace. And we had just finished harvesting some berries while we scouted to take back to the Holt, so I gave them my share. But that was the extent of it. Humans are known to act innocent, then prove they are not when you let your guard down. So I did not let mine down, and neither did my kin,** Dragonheart replied simply.

~I understand,~ Aracon conceded. ~At least I know they are in these woods, and that they are beings from another world. Share with me their faces, so I might know them from the other stray Humans here.~

The Elf then locked minds with the Unicorn, sharing a vision of his view of the two frightened Humans cowering in the hedge-hollow. Aracon was at first confused by their strange dress; they certainly weren't prepared for rough travel in a forest. As the Elf relayed the conversation in the same way as the vision, Aracon was even more confused by their strange accents; none of the Humans he'd overheard as he'd come close to their villages sounded this way. He withdrew from the communication, giving a huff of concern.

~They are definitely not from this world. They seem to know little or nothing of our ways,~ Aracon verified. ~I must find them in due haste. I hope they have survived the night, as these woods can be quite deadly.~

**They weren't very far in, but if they wander more before nightfall they may be in trouble,** Dragonheart said, tying the sack of berries and slinging it over his shoulder.

Aracon dipped his head in agreement. ~Thank you, Dragonheart, you have helped me discern much from the magic surge I felt yesterday. I shall seek the Humans as I do not think they will get far.~

Dragonheart nodded then. **Let us pray the Goddess has found what this world needs to be healed, or the end of us all may be more nigh than we realize.**

Aracon huffed once more as he dropped his head in a bow to the Elf by way of a farewell. ~I shall add my plea to yours, brave Warrior.~

 


	7. Chapter 7

After walking for what seemed to be most of the afternoon, Ian and Ryan had found a creek that was, as Ian had guessed, running down from the side of the mountain. Ian had figured out by the Elf's instructions the general direction to go when the sun came up that morning, and he hoped that the creek was at the very least a sign they were headed in the right path. He still had a mind to climb at least partway up one of them to try to identify the one that might have the Palace atop it, but right now the water was far more inviting. After both took a very long drink, they sat down at the water's edge to rest. Ian looked around but unfortunately nothing around them appeared to be edible, and with no other means to find food -- Ian could have hunted, as he had so many times before, if only he’d had even a pocket knife handy -- both of them found their strength waning considerably.

“This is hopeless. How the hell are we supposed to find this palace if we don’t even know where it is? When we looked out earlier when we found that clearing all we saw were the same mountains from yesterday, and not one looked any different,” Ryan said, giving up at trying to hide her exhausted tone.

“I... I don’t know what to do. We have no way of knowing where we’re going... I haven’t even seen any signs of life around here other than animals. Even if we could run into an Elf again, they probably told all the other Elves not to help us so I don't even know if that would work.”

Ryan nodded. “The last one we talked to seemed like he might believe us, but he definitely didn't trust us. They’re probably hiding from us now --”

Ryan’s voice was cut off by a loud growling noise, which had come from just a bit too close behind them. She froze, turning pale, as Ian placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Okay... stay totally still. There’s no wind... whatever it is, if we’re lucky, it won’t smell us.”

“That was what I heard this morning... it must have been following us...”

“Well, it can’t be too hungry, or it would have come after us by now. So like I said, maybe we’ll be lucky...”

Another growl, closer still, accompanied by the sound of something big moving through the brush, the sounds indicating that it was circling around to face them. Ian watched the thick foliage, but couldn’t see anything, especially with the light fading as quickly as it was... or so he thought. Suddenly, a tangled mass of vines and brush began to split apart, and through them came the emerald green head of a huge dragon, yellow eyes catching the last gray of twilight. The pair were rooted to where they sat as the dragon emerged further, revealing itself to be quite huge, with a mottled emerald-scaled pattern that camouflaged it perfectly against the leaves and green of the forest. It moved closer, head hovering above them, teeth as long as Ian’s arm showing through its curling lips. Ian was sure the beast was grinning at the prospect of a very easy meal.

Ryan had been so driven to hysterics she’d gone totally silent; now, suddenly, she found her voice. Shrieking madly, she bolted up and ran to their right, her action breaking Ian from his own trance and prompting him to follow. He easily caught up with her, scooping her up in his arms and running with her, adrenaline pumping so hard she felt weightless. Behind them, they could hear the crashing of the dragon following; Ian decided it was most definitely gaining on them. Turning off the path that they’d been traveling, Ian went into a thicker stand of trees, hoping the increased density would hold the dragon off. Pausing for a moment to catch his breath, he set Ryan down -- but both quickly resumed running when the first tree went flying, torn from the ground by the dragon’s massive jaws. The creature was determined to catch up with them, and it appeared that it also knew that Ian and Ryan wouldn’t be able to run forever.

The pair ran until they came to what appeared to be the rocky foot of one of the mountains, the shale wall in front of them covered with moss. The only ways to go were left, right, and up; left would lead them back to the dragon; right, away, but probably not far enough; and up was not an option, as the rock face appeared to be too flat to be able to climb, and there was no way of knowing how far up it went. Ryan chose right, and they ran along the edge of the rock face, still hearing the dragon coming behind them and catching glimpses of its jaws ripping up the foliage in its path.

Finally, as it drew near to dark, the pair found themselves literally in a corner. The face of the wall jutted out in front of them; the only way around would lead them right into the dragon’s path. Ryan scrabbled against the rock, trying to climb; Ian pulled her away, trying to calm her to no avail. Sinking to the ground with her, pressing her eyes to his shoulder to shield her from the sight of the coming dragon, Ian raised his face to the creature, determined to at least stare his own death in the face. The dragon’s head burst through the foliage, jaws open wide, roaring in victory --

And suddenly, out of nowhere, two white shapes dropped down on it, one on the head, and one that first landed on its shoulders, then leapt to the ground, where it attached itself to the beast’s throat. The creature tossed its head, screaming, but found the being on top of it making short work of its eyes somehow. Ian was sure he suddenly saw blood pouring from a wound in the dragon’s throat; one eye was definitely gone by the time it withdrew, fleeing into the forest with its attackers still astride it. There was silence for what felt like about ten minutes or so, long enough that Ryan ventured a glimpse from beneath where she’d been hidden in Ian’s embrace.

“Is... is it gone?” she whispered.

“Yeah... two... things attacked it. I couldn’t make out what they were. They were white, kinda looked like people. One tore up its eye, and the other looked like it slashed its throat.”

“Where are the other things now?”

“I... I don’t know...” Ian paused as he heard something coming through the brush again, much smaller this time. He also heard growls and guttural chirrups; there was more than one creature, and one was answering the other. Holding his breath, he watched the huge hole in the brush where the dragon had gone, which had been illuminated by the glow of the rising moon -- but could not have prepared himself for what he saw.

They were tall, at least seven feet each, and total muscle -- their bodies looked like those of bodybuilders. One was definitely female, as evidenced by the breastplate she wore that matched her green and gold loincloth. But it was their faces that revealed that they were definitely not Human -- atop each pair of massive shoulders sat the head of a lion, with sky blue eyes set into each stunningly beautiful face. Both creatures were white, rather than a lion’s tawny gold, their fur presently matted with the dark blood of the dragon. The male reached up to run a hand through his mane, revealing a five-fingered hand that featured retractable claws; their bare feet were the heavy paws of a lion, with four toes equipped with the same deadly claws.

For a few moments, the two pairs of beings appraised each other silently; then the female took a step or two forward, crouching down to sniff at Ian and Ryan. She spoke to the male in a guttural, growly series of sounds, then turned back to the pair of Humans before her. As she’d been turned away, Ryan had ventured a glance; she yelped when the creature met her eyes, and hid her face away.

“Do not fear me, little one. I mean you no harm,” the lioness said in a silky voice which was thick with an accent of some kind, the R’s rumbling in her throat like a purr. Ryan looked up again, and suddenly realized how lovely this creature was. Her face was regal, but something within it spoke of kindness.

“I am Bajeerah. My mate Jadbalja and I heard from the Elves that there were strangers in our wood. We have been trying to find you all day... I am happy we found you before the forest-dragon got to you.”

“B...believe me, so are we,” Ian stammered.

Bajeerah rose then, offering a hand to Ryan, with Jadbalja doing the same for Ian. Ryan, teetering on the brink of exhaustion, stumbled as she tried to take a step, prompting Bajeerah to scoop her up in her arms.

“We will take you to food, and a safe place to sleep. The forest-dragons don’t have wings, so they hunt the things on the ground... and where there’s one, there’s more.”

“That would be great,” Ian answered, relieved. “Any chance you could direct us to the highest mountain on the range while you’re at it?”

Jadbalja chuffed then, much like a tiger from back in their own world as the pair began to move Ian and Ryan in the direction of their home. “You’re probably looking for the Palace, right?”

“Yes... that’s what the Elf told us to look for.”

“And of course, the Elf didn’t tell you _where_ to go. They wouldn’t -- the less they can help Humans, the better. In which case, you’ll need guides. Don’t worry, friends... we will get to you where you need to be.”

Ian was about to respond, when everything began to spin and his legs gave way, exhaustion catching up to him. With lightning reflexes, Jadbalja caught him before he fell to the forest floor. Ryan had begun to fall asleep in Bajeerah's arms, too exhausted to notice. Jaddi then carried Ian in the same way as Ian fought for some semblance of consciousness.

“Why do the Elves hate Humans so much?” Ian asked feebly, trying not to watch the woods go by as it was making him more dizzy.

“Humans think they are demons because of what they look like. Some fear them, others seek their ears as prizes, others want to keep them as pets. In the War that just ended in the last few turns, there were many Elvish deaths... and deaths of other kinds as well. Some Cats like us died, but not so many as the Elves, who are smaller than Humans and not always able to fight back,” Jaddi answered.

“Save for the Dragonriders,” Baggi added. “The Labyrinth Elves were not warriors, but the Dragonriders are. They avenged many an Elvish death, and they lost not one of their kin. Quite impressive, they are, but the least inclined to trust Humans as a result.”

Something flashed in Ian's mind that was confirmed then. “So I _did_ see a rider on the dragon we saw the first day! The Elves that found us were heavily armed, especially the one that gave us food even though he seemed not to trust us.”

“The Dragonriders have begun to patrol the forests at the foot of the range now, ever since the Portal was opened again,” Jaddi informed them. “But I think we know now that it wasn't more evil coming through... this time I think it was the both of you being brought here by the Goddess.”

“Wait... what??” Ian said, some clarity returning. “What does this Goddess supposedly look like?”

“No one knows for sure,” Jaddi said. “But it is only She that would be able to bring beings here from another world.”

Ryan had woken up a bit and was listening in Baggi's arms. “But why would they want us?” she asked. “We're not warriors by any stretch of the imagination.”

“One doesn't always have to be a warrior to do great things,” Baggi said, her tone warm. “I know not what the Goddess may have summoned you for, but if She did, it is with good reason. We shall get you to the Palace where we will learn more.”

“But there is no sense in traveling any more tonight,”Jaddi added. “We shall take you to our home, where you can rest. We will plan our journey once you have regained some strength.”

“You have no idea how amazing that sounds right about now,” Ryan sighed, her voice a bit shaky as relief overwhelmed her. Baggi dipped her head down, nuzzling the top of her head with her big, pink nose.

“Unfortunately these strange times probably kept the Goddess from bringing you where you need to be,” Baggi said comfortingly. “We'll put that to rights soon enough.”

 


	8. Chapter 8

Ian and Ryan were taken by the Cats to a well-hidden cave mouth in the cliff face, which opened into what turned into a long, pitch-black tunnel that felt as if it sloped down into the earth. The Cats held securely on to the two Humans, well aware of their inability to see in the dark, and smelling the fear hanging about them.

The air ahead grew brighter, and the scent of burning wood wafted toward the quartet as the floor of the tunnel leveled out. As they emerged, Ian and Ryan weren’t sure if they should be frightened, or in awe.

In a great cavern lit with several small fires, were many more Cats, of every color and shape, from the white lions like Baggi and Jaddi, to orange tigers, leopards, gold lions, white tigers, black panthers, and even smaller, sleeker housecat-like breeds. The cavern was filled with a constant rumble that, when the ears sorted it out, was revealed to be the mixed voices speaking in the Cats’ chirrupy language.

Before long, however, the pride caught scent of the Humans in their midst, and heads turned, ears twitched, and tails lashed. A muscular white tiger male came to them, speaking at length with Baggi and Jaddi in their own language. Finally, the foursome was allowed to continue on to a small cavelet off of a corridor.

“Sit and rest,” Jaddi encouraged. “I will find some food for you. It may be a while -- I’ll have to put it in the fire, as it’s not something we do for ourselves.”

Ryan nodded absently, collapsing into a pile of hides that appeared to be a bed, as Ian thanked him. Baggi brought the pair water, then settled in to groom herself as they rested.

Ian awoke what felt to be hours later to find Jaddi returning with some type of meat and what looked like a deerskin bag full of deep red berries. Ryan dug into the berries, eyeing Ian skittishly as he tested the meat. “Venison,” he asserted by way of reassurance.

“We call them ‘branch-heads’, Jaddi noted. “It is surprising that you come from another place, yet speak very much like the Humans here.”

Ryan began to eat some of the meat as Ian, his head feeling a bit clearer with having had some rest, looked over at Jaddi.

“I was a bit fuzzy when we were talking about it earlier,” Ian began. “Can you explain a bit again about this Goddess and why we might be here?”

“Yes. Our world is in great peril. The Unicorn are dying, because a beast called the Chimera damaged the Idol, a statue that holds their life force. Our world has been dying since a Unicorn dared to open a place to another world, and for many turns now, it has been said that the only way to heal the world was to find a pure soul from the world he went to.”

“Wait a minute. Are you saying we’re here because we’re supposed to save the world?” Ryan asked incredulously.

“Well... it would seem so,” Jaddi said, more than a hint of a smile in his tone. “Do you not believe you can?”

“It’s not exactly something they teach you in school,” Ian replied dryly, evoking perplexed reactions from the Cats.

“What do we have to do?” Ryan asked.

“That, only the Unicorn can answer. We must go to the Palace. We shall find your purpose there,” Jaddi said.

“This Palace better be worth it, because it's all I keep hearing about,” Ian said, a bit of frustration in his tone. “Though I really don't know what the two of us could possibly do. The most important thing for both of us, I think, is to find our way back home. So I hope that hole or whatever it is can be opened again to send us back.”

“That, I fear, is beyond what knowledge I have of magic,” Jaddi affirmed. “Cats are not magical, so far anyway. We hear legends and stories from the Unicorn and other beings who carry their tales, but sometimes we are not certain that all we know is true. But this legend of the Unicorn Silver Light has gone on for more than an age, so at most that part is likely true. It happened before most of us here in the pride were born.”

“I do not think the Goddess would take such a risk as to open the same wound in our world to bring you here if you were not a part of its healing,” Baggi added. “If you are here, it is because you hold some importance. And we shall see to it that you both make it to see the Unicorn as quickly as we can bring you.”

Ryan was fighting sleep again after filling up on the meat and berries. She cuddled to Ian, who folded her into his usual protective embrace. Baggi chuffed warmly at their sign of affection. “Are you mates?” she asked, prompting Ryan to giggle softly. Ian's eyes were heavy as he laid his head down on the fur pelt they'd folded into a rather soft pillow, electing not to think about where it came from.

“I guess you could say that,” he murmured sleepily. “I just hope when we get home we can stay together...”

Baggi was about to ask what he meant, but set to purring instead, pleased to see the Ian drifting off and content that the two Humans were, for the moment, finding some much-needed peace.

 

 

 

The cavern had grown quiet, the fires reduced to glowing coals, as the beginnings of dawn colored the patches of sky visible through the smoke holes in the ceiling high above. Ryan and Ian awoke long before the nocturnal Cats were ready to begin their day at dusk. Rising, Ian peered out of the entrance to the cavelet they’d slept in, searching for the way they’d come but finding only darkness.

“What are you doing?” Ryan whispered, noting that Baggi and Jaddi had left them alone sometime during the night.

“I’m not sure I trust these creatures. How do we know they’re not playing nice until they find a good time to roast us for dinner?” Ian replied. “I want to find the way out of here.”

“How? This place is pitch black except for the main cavern. God only knows where we’d end up if we started trying to feel our way around this place. Then for sure we’d never get home.”

Ian sighed, sitting back hard on the pile of furs he’d slept on. “Yeah, you’re right. Well, if we do get out of here, at least we have the chance to see a live Unicorn.”

“That would be neat, I guess... I still don’t understand though how we ended up being the ones to save this world,” Ryan replied, Ian making particular note of her passing remark about the Unicorn. Were she in any other frame of mind, it would be all she could talk about so the reaction was quite telling as to her state of mind.

“I guess we’ll find out... if we get out of here... what was that?”

Ian paused, listening to a faint shuffle coming down the corridor outside of their cavelet. A dim glow filled the doorway, growing brighter as the bearer of the light approached. A tiny hand extended into the doorway, holding a glowing stone which threw an amazing amount of light into the room for something about the size of a golf ball. Slowly, cautiously, a face peered around the edge of the entrance, and Ryan couldn’t help but smile a bit when the Elf’s curious face appeared, violet eyes blinking in surprise.

“This one doesn’t seem hostile,” Ian noted as the elf stared at them for several seconds. Looking back at him, Ian extended a hand. “Hey there... we won’t hurt you... what’s your name?”

The Elf moved back a step at Ian’s extended hand, still holding the glowing stone before him at arm’s length. “Nils am I,” he replied.

“I am Ian, and this is Ryan. I was wondering... can you show us the way out of here?”

“No show Humans way in Labyrinths. Humans kill Elves,” Nils snapped angrily.

“We’re not going to kill you... we just want to go home,” Ryan said. “We’re afraid of the Cats. We think they might want to eat us.”

“Then I let them,” Nils growled. “No show you way --” A growl in the corridor cut Nils’ exchange with the two Humans short, sending him running off the way he came. With the lightstone gone, the light of a flickering torch became visible as a golden lion Cat, apparently younger than Jaddi as evidenced by his slighter build and sparser mane, moved smoothly into the room.

“Good thing I caught him. He’s nothing but trouble. His people live in the other end of these Labyrinths, and they’d love to gut every Human they see. I’m sure that’s why he came here,” the Cat said. “They have scouts around this wood and probably saw you being brought here.”

Ryan remembered the bits of the conversation they'd had with the Cats on the way there the night before, when she was in and out of dozing in Baggi's arms. “Baggi mentioned something about the Labyrinth Elves. He seemed innocent enough, if a little angry,” she ventured.

“The Elves suffered the worst of the injustices in the war the Humans waged against our land. Nils’ tribe was nearly destroyed outright, and tens upon tens of Elves were slaughtered in cold blood, their eyes burned out and ears taken as trophies -- while they still lived. The Humans think they’re demons. The Elves don’t like us Cats much because they feel we took the forest from them, and take their food. We pretty much stay out of each other’s way. You’d do well to avoid the Elves -- too many of their warriors still cry out for revenge.” The Cat then gave a startled huff. “Oh, pardon me... I am Goldmane, Baggi and Jaddi’s son.”

Ian blinked. “But, you’re gold... shouldn’t you be white?”

Goldmane huffed again, and Ian decided it was a kind of laugh. “Sometimes two of the same kind make a third of another. We don’t know why. We’ve played with matings just to see what we can come up with -- we have a rather interesting spotted white lion as an end to that. Anyway... Mother and Father sleep still, so I thought I’d show you to a place where you can clean yourselves. I traded some meat with the Elves for some Human clothing... I'm not quite sure I want to know why that had it, but it will serve your purpose. If we can’t stand to be dirty, I’m sure it’s worse for you.”

Ryan sighed. “That sounds wonderful. Lead the way...”

Ian stopped her as she rose. “Wait a minute. Where exactly are you taking us?”

Goldmane blinked. “To a hotpool just down the tunnel here. There’s warm water from deep in the earth there... quite comfortable. The Tiger Cats like it, being swimmers and all.” Goldmane’s nose twitched then, and he sniffed the air near Ian.

“Ah. You don’t trust me, that’s it. Well, friend, I can tell you the Elf had more of an intention of slitting your throat than I do. We want our world to survive... and that means getting you to the Palace safely.”

“Well, that’s enough for me. Stay here if you want, Ian, but I’m going for a bath,” Ryan snapped, rising to follow Goldmane down the tunnel. Sighing, Ian hung back a few seconds more before rising and following along, hoping for all the world that Ryan’s trust in these strange beasts was well-put. Goldmane and Ryan hadn't gotten far, with Ian just behind them as they headed down the corridor.

“Did you sleep well?” Goldmane asked Ryan, one hand darting out with typical cat-like lightning reflexes as Ryan stumbled over a root on the tunnel floor, catching her.

“Ugh, thanks... didn't see that there. I did, even though it was rather jarring waking up... I... I just miss home,” she said, prompting Goldmane to rest the same hand on her back.

“I cannot imagine how frightening this must be for you both,” he acknowledged. “At least you shall be safe with us now, and the rest of your journey will hopefully be much easier.”

The tunnel opened up then into a cavern which did indeed contain a hot spring, but also something more. Both Ian and Ryan gasped as the looked up at the walls, which appeared to be encrusted with some sort of iridescent crystals. Ian walked up closer to one, peering in the light of the torch.

“It looks like some kind of quartz,” he said, reaching up to touch one; in turn, the crystal fell out into his hand. “Oh crap, I didn't mean for that to happen.”

Goldmane looked over at Ian's reaction. “Oh they fall out all the time, there's plenty on the bottom of the pool so be wary of your feet. They grow right back anyway.” He looked along the wall, then up to the ceiling; reaching up, he nudged one exceptionally big, faceted crystal from the stone as Ryan looked on. He dropped to one knee then, holding it out to her as it glittered in the torchlight, nearly as big as a decently sized apple.

“For you, my lady,” Goldmane replied, with Ryan giggling in response.

“Thank you kind sir,” she replied. “It's beautiful. I hope I can take it home with me.”

“You never know. You may grow to like this place,” Goldmane said cheerfully. “Maybe you'll end up staying.” Ryan paused then, not really sure how to respond.

“Let's see what happens with this whole saving the world thing first,” Ian said. “I think we'll worry about getting home after that.”

Goldmane chuffed, giving his mane a satisfied shake. “That is probably best,” he agreed. He then motioned to a rock on the shore, where some clothing was laid out. “Take all the time you need. It's quite difficult to get out once you're in though, just so you're warned. The water is quite soothing.”

“I think I could jump in an ice cold lake and feel better to be honest,” Ian said, evoking another amused chuff from Goldmane as he climbed up to an opening in the upper part of the wall, settling there to keep watch as the Humans bathed.

Suddenly though, things got slightly awkward as both Ian and Ryan looked at each other, both realizing there was no way around undressing in front of each other.

“Well... this just got weird,” Ian said, trying not to laugh, knowing Ryan was probably pretty self-conscious at the moment.

“Turn around and I'll tell you when I'm in,” she said, to which he obliged. She then did the same for him. Once both were in, they found their footing in the warm water; they could feel the crystals, most worn down to being smooth save for the newer ones that were sharp, on the floor of the pool.

“Well I wasn't expecting to get a hot bath in this place but I'm not complaining,” Ian said as he scrubbed off as best he could.

“Seriously,” Ryan replied. “I wish we'd have found them right away, it would have helped things not to be quite so scary.”

“I just hope the rest of this getting to the Palace business is as easy as the Cats have said,” Ian asserted. “I think I'm already over this adventure stuff and it's only been a couple days.”

Ryan had tipped her head back to let the water, with its slight current, run through her hair as she worked out the tangles with her fingers; she raised her head back as Ian spoke.

“Yeah... this crap isn't as easy as it is in the books is it?” she stated wryly.

“Hell no,” Ian snorted, "next time those damn books need to come with a sword and detailed instructions!”

 

 

 

The bath in the hot spring had been wonderful, leaving both Humans feeling a bit more like themselves. The clothing Goldmane had given them, while somewhat ill-fitting, was a bit more hospitable to forest travel than their T-shirts and jeans had been. Both now sported deerskin tunics and leggings with thick-soled, knee-high leather boots that were definitely made for traveling.

From the looks of the bits of sky showing through the smoke holes, it appeared to be about noon as Goldmane led Ian and Ryan to where Baggi and Jaddi waited near the entrance to the corridor they’d first come down the night before. As the three Cats met, Goldmane conferred with them in the Cat language for several minutes. At first, Baggi and Jaddi’s tones appeared to be adverse to the subject at hand; finally, they seemed to acquiesce.

“Goldmane wants to go with us,” Jaddi noted, evoking a smile from Ryan.

Ian shrugged. “The more the merrier. I suppose it can’t hurt to have an extra set of claws around.”

Jaddi chuckled, then spoke for a few minutes to Goldmane, who seemed to be garnering a set of parental rules. Once the conversation was settled, the now-quintet traveled up the tunnel, emerging into the warm summer day. Following the Cats to what appeared to be a path, Ian lengthened his strides to catch up with Jaddi.

“Why do I get the feeling you guys are doing something that’s not too popular with your people?” he asked.

Jaddi sighed, or at least did something like it. “Humans took advantage of the evil that wounded our world. Even though you were brought here to help us, many just see that you are Humans, and that’s all there is. To be honest, more than a few of our tribe wanted to roast you both on the cookfires. But we convinced them of otherwise.”

Ian nodded, his misgivings confirmed. “Well, thanks... I just hope we’re not heading for something a whole lot worse.”

Jaddi chuffed, this time a bit of an irony to it. “For your sakes, I hope so as well,” he agreed.

 


	9. Chapter 9

Aracon had been roaming the Mythologican countryside for most of the previous day, finally stopping overnight to rest when he realized he hadn't ceased moving longer than to crop off some grass to eat or to get a drink at the creek he followed through the foothills. There had been no sign of the Humans the Goddess had brought through, and also nothing that might lead him to the location of his son. As he trotted down one path that began to feel vaguely familiar he slowed his pace, reading the spirits of the trees as best he could. He didn't dare open his magic-seeking abilities completely out here in the open; the Chimera could potentially sense him out that way.

He was brought to a halt at one particular, very old tree. Touching his horn to it, he could feel the vibrant life force flowing through the tree's many inner layers, each one a year in its life. Aracon saw flashes of the tree-spirit's memory... and finally came to one, more than a century past, that held faint images that struck sorrow into his very soul. He had dared not risk being captured as he watched his son, helpless, not an infant but still too young to survive without his mother whom the Humans had slain, being taken away. He followed the tree's vision of the Human hunting party as far as the branches, then much lower down into the forest, could see... but it was enough. The path would look much different now, a century and some turns later... but before long, Aracon found the other trees he recognized from the ancient vision and they began to mark his way.

The path he eventually came to was well-used, an obvious Human way through the forest. Aracon paused to sniff at the wagon tracks and beaten-down dirt, then worked out which direction each was going. There was one scent that repeated many times, sometimes fresh, sometimes quite old... older than any normal Human would be. He had seen, in the vision, one being who was probably some sort of unskilled wizard who had taken his son, dampening his latent magic to make him helpless.

The freshest whiff of his scent was only a day or two old. The wizard who held his son still lived, his gifts stronger but not such that he could not be defeated. All it would take was the right spark to bring his son back to his own gifts.

Aracon snorted, tossing his head with anxiety as he set off into a canter down the path. He now caught the scent of the wizard almost everywhere, growing stronger, small tendrils of his magic, comparatively weak compared to any Unicorn or Elf, beginning to mix in as Aracon drew closer to the place he'd seen in the vision. The path opened up just ahead and he stayed just within the protection of the heavier forest; in the vision, the trees ringing the dwelling were much smaller then. Now, the forest had swallowed up nearly all of it...

An old stone manor house, with haphazardly-made turrets that were probably meant to make the home look like a castle of some sort, rested atop each of the four corners. Just beyond it, the land sloped down into one of the foothills that preceded the mountain range inhabited far above by both Unicorn and Elves. Some of the young trees in the vision were long gone, cleared to make space as what appeared to be more rooms were added onto the home.

As Aracon circled at the edge of the clearing, he inspected the home's walls. He recognized the scrapes and clefts that meant battles had been fought here, the marks recent. This home had been, for some reason, the target of the wrath of Mythologican dwellers, more than likely during the recent War. Aracon shuddered at that thought; what were those creatures fighting for? What horrors happened here? His mind delved further into this train of thought, even as he reached out as quietly as he could with the one spark that tied father to son, praying to the Goddess for an answer...

The smallest spark, asleep at first, then waking, the feel of it almost questioning... as he'd expected, after so long. He was there. Aracon could feel it.

The Unicorn stared up at the crooked spires of the poorly built Human manor home, reaching within with his mind, trying to find the soul he felt stirring within it. He cringed as he touched it briefly -- what should have been pure was maimed, beaten down, shattered. But he'd awakened that one spark within that wounded soul… and knew there was still hope. The spark would ignite the fire within, kindling its latent strength. It would spark within his son the desire to be free, to break whatever magical chains this traveling-carnival Human wizard had managed to impose. A Unicorn, influenced while young to the point of having their powers dampened, often didn't realize what abilities they possessed. Now, Tempest would begin to feel it... the hope, the strength, to break free.

Aracon found one particular window where the presence was the greatest. He tossed his head in anguish when he noted the thick iron bars across it. His son was treated as a captive, even after all this time, not even a pet as so many Humans were wont to do with Unicorn. He sent the spark again, willing Tempest to know his true self, to find the strength to win his freedom.

_Soon, my son. Soon we shall be together. This, I promise on my very soul._

 

 

 

The three Cats and their Human companions had walked for the better part of the day, and were now in search of shelter for the night. However, the hedgerows and trees offered little in the way of refuge, and as dusk lingered on the horizon Ian and Ryan were becoming resigned to another night out in the open, when Ian, who had been a few paces ahead, called to the group.

“There's some kind of house just beyond the edge of these trees,” he said. “Do you guys know who lives here?”

Ryan came up the trail to peer through the trees as the Cats brought up the rear.

“From what I have heard, the man who lives in the house seems to think he's the king of this land, simply because the few Humans who managed to stay here after the War chose to follow him. There are also stories that he is some sort of wizard, though if he were very powerful I am certain the Unicorn would have perceived him as a threat and driven him out by now.”

Ian was about to ask something more when Baggi bristled. “Humans coming, sounds like scouts on horseback, from behind us on the trail. Hide!” The quintet began to seek out hiding places, with Ian catching up Ryan's hand and pulling her behind a large tree. As the hoofbeats came closer, Ian and Ryan watched in awe as the three Cats scaled the gigantic, almost Sequoia-like trees in the time it would take them to walk a few steps, high up out of sight by the time the two men came into view. Suddenly their horses pulled up short, whinnying, seeming spooked.

“Eh what's got your nose Nichey? We got a wolf around?” the rider said to his horse, giving the animal's neck a pat.

“Flick's not too happy here 'neither,” the other rider said as his horse stomped a hoof.

Behind the tree, Ian turned to Ryan, mouthing the word “cats” and pointing to his nose; Ryan nodded, having had the same realization that the rider's horses had smelled the Mythologican predators.

“Well well. I think maybe I found what got the horses spooked.”

Ian and Ryan both froze at the third voice from behind them. Turning slowly, the were confronted with a third scout, on foot, holding a large sword at the ready; he lowered it a bit when he realized the two Humans were unarmed.

“And who might you be?” he asked.

“Ahh... We lived in a village that was too near a tribe of Elves,” Ian said, thinking quickly. “We lived in peace with them until one of our hunters accidentally mistook one for a deer while on a hunt, and killed him in error. The Elves came and slayed all who lived there; my... wife and I were getting water just outside the village and we were able to run when they came. No else one survived. We are looking for shelter from our own kind.”

The scout looked to his companions on horseback then; after a nod from them both, Ian inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. They were buying his story.

“Well then, we can't have them tracking you. Once the word spreads with those demons, all the tribes look for you. They might be after you right now. Let's get you inside, I'm sure the King won't mind taking you in,” the scout said, some sympathy in his voice.

“Bet they're hungry as one'a those Cat People,” one of the horseback men laughed. “I'll go on ahead and get the gates open.”

Ian grabbed Ryan's hand protectively then as he saw her face become more frightened. As the scouts moved forward to lead them to the manor, Ian caught Jaddi out of the corner of his eye, hidden in the branches of one of the thicker trees. Jaddi gave him a nod of reassurance; Ian knew then the Cats would find a way to help them should they have trouble leaving. Ian then “stumbled” into Ryan, motioning with his head once he'd gotten her attention; she seemed to relax a bit when she caught Jaddi's face in the leaves before they emerged into the clearing.

The two scouts on foot veered off, more than likely making their way to the stables, the one on foot banged on the door with the hilt of his sword. A small peep window opened, then closed, and the doors finally were opened by two guards.

The scout led them to what appeared to be a combination dining hall and audience chamber, which featured a makeshift throne at one end. Perched upon it, leaning forward with interest, was a forty-something-ish man with a full beard, dressed in what was apparently supposed to be regal garb.

"Welcome to my home. I am Jariel, the king of this land. I'm pleased that you made it here alive -- these enchanted lands hold many dangers."

"I've always been known for my tracking skills," Ian replied, smiling inwardly at the fact that he wasn't lying -- he had his father and their many hunting trips to thank for that. He then relayed again his story about their “village”, which the “king” also believed.

"We were actually looking for a palace of some kind, which was said to be atop a mountain. We were told the king of this land might help us... have we come to the right place?" Ian ventured; Ryan squeezed his hand then and he drew back, realizing he probably shouldn't give up too much.

"You've found it. This is it," Jariel replied, cutting Ian off with what Ryan took to be an air of panic. "I am the king of this land," he emphasized.

"Well then, I guess our searching has ended," Ian smiled, playing along. "Can we be so bold as to ask for shelter this night?"

"But of course!" Jariel grinned, seeming relieved. "You can stay in one of our guest suites until a permanent home can be built for you in the village." Clapping his hands to summon servants, he descended from his throne.

"If you've good tracking skills, you'll be of particular use to me. I always need more hunters."

"That would be interesting," Ian replied, making small talk as their escorts arrived. Two handmaidens appeared, attempting to lead Ryan away from Ian, leaving Ryan to resist.

"I'd prefer not to be separated from my… husband," Ryan stated, keeping up the ruse. "He's all I have left now that our people are gone." That part, she mused, was really not a lie.

"As you wish, my lady," Jariel smiled. "I --" His words were cut short by the appearance of someone from an archway off to one side of the "throne". Turning toward him sharply, Jariel's face turned dark.

"You were told not to show yourself!" the "king" snapped, causing the heavily built man to flinch noticeably, almost as if he'd been struck somehow. "You're still under punishment."

Ian was about to ask whom the man was, but instead his attention turned to Ryan. She'd been riveted to the stranger since he'd first appeared, and now the man's huge, almost Elf-like blue eyes were locked on her as well.

Within her, Ryan felt her heart break. She had never before seen anyone who looked so incredibly sad -- indeed, it almost seemed he'd lost his very soul. She wanted to go to him, comfort him…

"Pay my son no mind. He has a bit of a discipline problem," Jariel noted curtly as he himself squired Ian and Ryan toward where their escorts awaited them with an air of urgency. "If he troubles you at all, please, do not hesitate to let me know."

As the servants led Ian and Ryan to a room, Ian suddenly realized there was a familiarity about the “man” they'd seen in the throne room. As they were left alone, with the handmaiden telling them a bath and then dinner would be ready shortly before taking her leave, he sat down on a chair, deep in thought. Ryan was similarly engrossed, but for a very different reason.

Then suddenly, it hit Ian like a lightning strike.

“Ryan! Holy... I just realized why that “man” seemed familiar. He looked a lot like the one that pulled me in here,” he said, which made Ryan angle her head with an inquisitive expression. “The one that brought me in was taller, with red hair and green eyes. But this guy looked like if nothing else, they were from the same kind of people. I don't think he's this 'king's' son.”

“What do you think it means?” she asked, still fighting the strange and very sudden compulsion to seek the man out; she decided to keep that part of her questioning to herself for the moment. “He did seem very sad, even depressed... maybe he's being held prisoner here.”

“It means I'm kind of getting why the natives of this place hate Humans,” Ian acknowledged. “This guy seems to be as shifty as they come. If he's got people believing this dump is the same Palace that the Unicorn live in, he either talks a really good game, the people who believe him are idiots... or both.”

Ryan was quiet for a bit then; Ian noticed a strange, almost haunted expression on her face that he hadn't seen before now.

“There was something about that 'man'... so sad... I wonder if he needs help somehow,” she mused.

“If he does, I'm not sure that we're the ones to give it to him. Maybe when we finally make it to the Palace, we can let them know about him. Maybe they'll help him.”

“I... feel like he needs _our_ help,” she said, with an emphasis Ian did not miss.

“Ryan... we can't worry about that now. All I want to do is maybe get a night's sleep in an actual bed, then get the hell out of here in the morning. I don't trust this 'king'.”

Ryan was about to respond when there was a knock on the door; Ian answered to find the handmaiden announcing that a bath had been drawn for them. Ian led Ryan out into the corridor to follow the woman, concern growing within him at how abruptly Ryan seemed to have changed. Hoping this “wizard” hadn't done something to her as her strange state had started after the throne room, he made a note to keep a watchful eye on her, praying this world and its strange ways hadn't started taking over his friend.

 


	10. Chapter 10

After a bath and fresh clothes – which, Ian noted, fit them considerably better than the ones they'd gotten from the Elves – Ian and Ryan were invited to have dinner in the main hall as guests of the “king”. It turned out to be quite the casual affair, with very few royal manners on display, convincing Ian further that this place was definitely not as it seemed. The pair kept their distance from Jariel, who seemed to be entertaining a pair of women who were quite interested in his attention anyway.

Ian noticed at one point that Ryan's attention was diverted away from her food; he followed her line of sight until he spotted, hiding in the curtained entrance to a passageway, the same “man” they'd seen earlier. He seemed to be scanning the room for someone; just as Ian spotted him, he clearly saw the “man” lock eyes with Ryan, who visibly shuddered. They stared at each other for several long moments before the “man” disappeared behind the curtains and was gone.

“That… man… I think you're right about him... he's not Human. I... I can feel it,” Ryan stated.

“Feel it? What do you mean?” Ian said, her words evoking immediate apprehension within him.

"I can't explain it… I just _know_. He's not what he seems to be… and he needs our help."

Ian sighed, sitting back in his chair. "Well, I have no idea how to 'help' this guy… and I think you need to let it go. I get the feeling we're on shaky ground as it is… I just want to get out of this place in the morning. And if it's all the same to you, I'll bunk in the forest tomorrow night."

Ryan seemed to want to protest, but instead stayed quiet. They took their leave of the hall once they finished eating, the atmosphere turning more and more bawdy as the diners drank more ale. Ian remembered the way back to their room, and locked the door once they were safely inside.

“Looks like they left us some sleep clothes,” Ian said, looking at the comfortable gown and night shirt and pants laid out on the bed. “The regular people here seem fine, it's just that 'king' I don't trust.”

Ryan was quiet, taking the gown and slipping behind a dressing screen to change. She came back out, climbing on the bed, still reserved as Ian emerged in the night clothes as well.

“Come on, let's get some sleep. We'll go outside in the morning under the pretense of 'exploring', and try to contact the Cats. Once we have them on our side we can just escape and be on our way.”

“But what about...” Ryan stopped, realizing that despite the deep compulsion to help the “man”, she didn't even know his name.

“Ryan... you need to let this go. We can't worry about him and ourselves. We'll ask the Cats what they think we should do, but we're going to have to leave him behind for now.” He lied down, tugging on her hand. “Come on, you'll probably feel better after some rest.”

She lied down next to him then, turning her back to his chest as she had every night since they'd been there. He slipped one arm around her waist, giving her a gentle squeeze. Ryan tried to sleep but ended up lying awake for a long while then, finally hearing Ian's breathing even out as he dozed off.

Ryan's restless mind refused to let her even relax. She felt as if some invisible spirit, or some unseen force, finally drove her up and out of bed and into the torchlit corridors of the sleeping manor. She almost felt as if an imaginary hand were leading her, for even though she knew nothing of the layout of the house, she knew exactly where to go. The unseen instinct led her up two flights of stairs that ended at an ornate wooden door; without hesitation, she raised her hand and knocked.

Within moments, the door opened and object of her search was there. She found herself looking up, up to eyes that were set into a face more than seven feet off the ground. Knee-length, golden hair spilled in a sheet down his muscular back, a few ribbons cascading over his huge chest. But the most engaging thing were his eyes -- oversized, catlike eyes of a blue like Ryan had never seen.

"I knew you would come. Your heart would lead you," he said, his voice deep, but hushed. "Come in."

Ryan surprised herself with her complete trust of this massive stranger as she accepted his invitation without question. Sitting in a chair near the door, she watched as he settled into a place on his ornate wooden bed. She noticed with some apprehension that, clearly visible in the glow of the candles in the room, there were bars across the window behind him.

"I… I don't even know your name," Ryan finally whispered, suddenly feeling more of her common sense willing her to be careful despite this strange compulsion driving her.

"I am called Tempest," he answered.

"And you're not Jariel's son," Ryan asserted.

"Far from it. The only thing we share is the gift of magical ability. He is a corrupted wizard masquerading as a normal Human. His 'subjects' are all he has left."

"And… what are you?"

"I am a Unicorn," Tempest said simply.

Ryan suddenly felt even more cautious. "How can that be? I thought…"

"That Unicorn were animals? They are. But I was created by magic… a blessing from a Unicorn while in my Human mother's womb. But there is the mark of proof… this."

When Tempest motioned to his forehead, Ryan was unsure for a moment if she was seeing things until Tempest passed a finger over the black, eight-pointed star on his forehead, just above and between his eyes. She was sure she hadn't seen it before… or had she?

"How… do I know that's not a tattoo?" she asked incredulously.

"I think you know within you the answer," he responded.

Ryan shook off the nagging urge to trust him implicitly. "Why am I here, anyway? How did you lead me here?"

"You followed your heart's call. I am feeling this pull to you as well. I know not what it means for us. But rather than that... I can aid you in what you seek. I can give you the Palace."

Ryan sat up then. "Go on."

"The Palace is the home of the Unicorn. My people. I have been held captive here since my childhood, but I know the way. All Unicorn do."

"And the catch is?"

"Help me. Take me with you."

Ryan felt a pang of sadness rock her then -- the desperation in Tempest's voice was unmistakable. "H…how long have you been here?"

"A century. Perhaps more. Since the day Jariel's men finally hunted my mother and I down after hearing the whispers of her Blessing ten years before. She fled, moving from village to village… she met her death trying to defend me."

Ryan was stunned to silence then as she tried to comprehend what Tempest had been through. She felt his eyes trained upon her and felt the same nagging pain within her soul… and she was almost certain her next words might not entirely be her own.

"I… I will find a way…" she said. "I don't know how… but I'll find a way."

“I believe you shall,” Tempest replied.

“What can you tell me about... some kind of prophecy involving a Unicorn named Silver Light?” she asked then.

“I am limited on the history of my people,” Tempest admitted. “But from what I have heard, Mythologica slowly dies because he did something to break our protections.”

“We have been told he poked a hole in the protection of the world. He apparently came to the world Ian and I are from. Now, we've been brought here as the closing of some kind of circle, to save it. That's why we need to find the Palace. We were brought here but we don't know the way.”

Tempest's eyebrows raised then. “If this is true, you are both very important to the Unicorn. If we can help each other, it will be a benefit to both of us. Perhaps... we are to work together on this.” Tempest smiled softly then. “We could discuss it further...”

Ryan began to feel as if a cloud was descending on her mind, obscuring her command over her own will; with considerable effort, she fought to regain control. _What the hell is happening to me?_ she wondered.

“I... I'm going to go back to my... husband now,” she said, back in control of her thoughts for the moment, but, alarmingly, her body was suddenly fighting something more.

“You do not wish to stay?” Tempest asked sadly; Ryan felt the fogginess coming over her mind again, and instead pulled herself from the chair.

“No... I'm... I'm married. I have to get back to Ian.” She opened the door then, making her way out and closing it quickly before Tempest could say any more. She began running down the corridor as her mind cleared the farther away she got from him; she was able to remember “end of the corridor, two flights down, to the right” to get back to the room she shared with Ian. She opened the door, attempting to be quiet... but she should have known it wouldn't have been easy to slip away. And she _did_... when she was thinking clearly...

“Where the hell have you been?!"

Ian met Ryan at the door of the room, appearing more than a bit frazzled. “I thought someone came and took you.” He wrapped his arms around her then and she responded in kind, her now clear mind reacting in disbelief at what she'd seemingly been compelled to do... and almost compelled to do.

"I went to see Tempest," she responded simply, not really understanding why as she sat down on the bed.

"Excuse me, but who the hell is Tempest? And why was it so important to go wandering through a strange house in the middle of the night to find him?"

"I knew exactly where he was... I don't know how. It was like... something was leading me. He says he's feeling the same pull. Neither of us know what it is.”

Ian began to suspect there was some type of force at work, magical or otherwise, and became even more concerned. Something was affecting Ryan, and it was already worrying him deeply.

“Did you find out anything?” Ian asked, trying to quell the anger borne of fear, replacing it with concern as he sat down on the bed next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“Tempest... says he's a Unicorn,” she said. “He has a star on his forehead that proves it. He says he was abducted as a child and Jariel's men killed his mother to get him because of what he was. Jariel is some kind of wizard and he's using magic to keep Tempest here.”

“So this Jariel is some kind of immortal wizard,” Ian said, feeling more worried now. “This complicates things. Did Tempest tell you anything else?”

“He says that even though he has never been there, all Unicorn know how to get to the Palace. He says he can take us there... but he wants us to help him escape,” she said. “And that's when I started feeling _really_ weird... almost like this... strange compulsion to help him isn't my own.”

Ian pulled her to him then. “It might just be this Jariel... maybe he's trying to force you on this guy under the guise that he wants a wife for him. Whatever it is, he is definitely shady as hell.”

Ryan wrapped her arms around Ian then, pressing tightly to him; the compulsion to help Tempest had dropped to a faint presence in her mind for now, but it was still there. “Oh Ian... I'm scared... what the hell is going on...”

He held her tightly then, rubbing her back comfortingly. “I know... I'm scared too. We need to get out of here as soon as we can. I'll see if I can contact the Cats in the morning to see if they've heard of this Tempest and his story. If there's some way to help him, we can maybe try... after all, he does know where the Palace is. He might be able to get us there faster. He could be useful... but before we try anything, we have to figure out _how_ , he added.

Ryan felt exhaustion finally overtaking her. “I need to try to sleep... I hope this... weird feeling in my brain goes away so I can rest...”

Ian moved over to lie down again, pulling her tightly to him; this time she turned to face him, pressing to his chest and head tucked under his chin as he held her close. He waited until he heard her fall asleep, then found himself sleepless for a while, uncertainty swirling in his head for quite some time before he too was finally able to drift off to slumber.

 


	11. Chapter 11

Dawn found Ryan having only slept a few hours, her mind keeping her awake with incessant thoughts about how she could aid Tempest in his escape. She kept fighting it back as best she could; after all, it was Ian who she wanted to escape with first and foremost. The recurring, almost obsessive thoughts were disturbing and she finally gave up, sitting up on the edge of the bed. It was then she realized that Ian was not in the bed with her; she was just about to call out for him when he emerged from behind the dressing screen, having put on the clothing they'd been given the night before.

“I'm going to go out for a 'morning walk', Ian said. “When I looked out the window a bit earlier, Baggi, Jaddi and Goldie were up in one of the trees, keeping an eye on our window. I'm going to see if they have heard of this Tempest and if this story checks out. Once we know if he's telling the truth, we can figure out what to do from there.”

For some reason, this seemed to quiet the obsessively-repeating thoughts in Ryan's head, even if only temporarily. “All right... In the meantime, maybe I can talk to him again... if we can find out if there is any sort of way for him to even get out of here, that will help too. He knows this place better than we do, he might know of a way he can get out with our help.”

Ian decided that trying to stop Ryan from seeing this person was probably futile. If she was under some sort of spell or magical power, trying to force her to work against it could hurt her. “All right. But be careful. We still don't know if we can totally trust him.”

“That's... that's the thing... somehow, I just... _know_ he's telling the truth. I can't explain how... but I do,” she replied; Ian noticed that the response, though meant to reassure him, sounded deeply troubled, leading him to embrace her tightly.

“We'll get this all figured out. Maybe we'll have to get the Unicorn to fix this... spell or whatever it might be. It might even be something we can use as leverage, a 'help us or we won't help you' kind of thing. But one way or another, we'll find a way to get this fixed, even if I have to kick some asses to make it happen.”

Ryan smiled softly then; hugging him back one more time before they released each other. “That's always been something I can count on with you,” she nodded.

Ian smiled back then as he prepared to head outside. “For you, you better believe it,” he winked, then took his leave. As he paused outside the door, resting his back against the doorframe and taking in a deep breath, he inwardly hoped that there indeed was some cure for whatever had affected Ryan, and that she could be freed soon.

After a few more moments to collect himself, he made his way outside. Walking along the rough path around the manor home, he waited until he saw the trees moving a bit ahead of him. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, he veered off the path to behind one of the large trees; the Cats were waiting, crouched within the hollow of another tree.

“I can't stay long. They'll be coming to look for us for breakfast,” Ian noted.

“What did you need to tell us?” Jaddi questioned. “You should have brought Ryan, we could have been on our way.”

“That's the thing... something... something weird has happened. When we went into the throne room, there was this... man? That looked really strange. Probably as tall as you guys, long blond hair, and these huge oversized blue eyes. Ryan, for some reason she can't figure out, has become obsessed with him. She thinks she's under some kind of spell and so do I.”

Baggi had stood up when Ian described the “man”. “Did... did he tell you his name?” she asked.

“He told Ryan his name is Tempest, and that he is a Unicorn, which seems really suspect because I thought they were animals. He says he was abducted from the forest after a Unicorn blessed his mother before he was born. He says they killed her trying to get to him and that Jariel, who seems to be some kind of wizard, has kept him prisoner ever since.”

The three Cats looked at one another; their faces all held a stunned expression.

“It is true!” Baggi gasped. “We have heard this legend, it is said to have happened not long after Silver Light wounded the world. He is the first of what are now known as Unicorn Immortals. The Unicorn, Aracon, blessed a Human woman's child with the spirit of a Unicorn, which had never been done before. It is said the Unicorn Elders were so angry with him for crossing mortal and immortal blood, that they refused to let Aracon bring him to the Palace. They were never certain if he was taken outside of Mythologica or not, but now it would seem that this Jariel has enough power to hide him from the Unicorn.”

Ian wasn't sure if he was relieved the story was true, or gutted, as it now made things that much more complicated.

“Whatever has happened to Ryan, she's now insisting we have to help him. He wants us to help him escape,” Ian said. “He says he knows the way to the Palace by some instinct all Unicorn have. She was going to talk to him to see if we could figure out if he knows a way out of this place..”

“I can tell you that bringing Tempest to the Palace would help your cause immensely,” Jaddi reassured him. “I'm not sure if his magic will be very strong, having been held captive so long. But he would also possibly be extra protection for the journey, as well as knowing the best way there.”

Ian sighed then; behind him, he could hear the sounds of the manor home waking up. “I need to get back,” he said. “I'll try to let you know what we're going to do. But I'm hoping we can figure something out soon.”

 

 

 

Tempest sat on the edge of his bed, motioning for Ryan to sit.

"You risk much by coming to me in the day, when you might be seen. I would prefer you not come until dark, once the house sleeps."

"I know… but if we want to get you out of here, we need to talk now, so that we could possibly try tonight." Ryan was already feeling the same pull to him on a mental and physical level as the night before; she elected to sit in the same chair near the door rather than the bed, which Tempest seemed disappointed about.

"Very well. What is it you wish to know?" he asked.

"If there is magic holding you here, how can we help you to leave? Neither of us have any special powers,” she began.

Tempest seemed a bit perplexed then. "You said you believe the Goddess brought you here… yet you have no gifts?"

"Where I came from, there is no such thing. Well, not that anyone has proven. Some people are believed to have ‘gifts’, but it's not like what we've been told exists here."

Tempest nodded then. "But, you have the faith that such things can be."

"I always have… and being brought here is the proof, I think."

"Then that explains the Goddess' choice. Unfortunately, it doesn't lend itself to my freedom," Tempest responded, his tone mildly despairing.

"What if we try to outwit him somehow? Is there anything he fears that we could use against him?"

Tempest paused then, thinking. "His fear lies in being discovered. If his 'subjects' knew he was a wizard, no matter how inferior a wizard he may be, they would revolt. Those Humans have lost enough due to Human wizards who lied to them and told them this land was theirs."

"That's a start…" Ryan reached within, a plan beginning to form. Then, almost as if a tiny voice whispered in her ear, a thought came to her.

"And… what about you? What would his subjects do if they knew his 'son' was really a magical creature… of the kind the Humans sought to destroy? How would that rest with the Humans?"

A slow smile crossed Tempest's face then. "Not very well, my lady… not very well at all."

“All right then... that is something we can use. I will go back and tell Ian about this, and we will let you know what we find.”

Tempest's eyes cast downward again; at the same time, Ryan began to feel the same fuzziness coming over her thoughts.

“I thought perhaps you would stay...” Tempest said again, sadness in it.

“I cant. I am married. I'm not really sure what it is you want from me but it's enough that we're putting ourselves on the line for you,” she snapped then. “I will see you later with any more news.” She tore herself from the chair then, grabbing the doorknob to leave.

“I... I don't know what it is,” Tempest said, stopping her short. She turned, still wary, eyeing the room to see what she could use as a weapon if need be. “The closer we are, the more... the more I want your presence.”

“I bet you say that to all the girls,” she snorted. “I will speak with you later... and I'll probably bring my husband.” This time she yanked open the door, closing it hastily but quietly as to not attract attention, then hurried back to the room. Ian was just returning as well, and she practically vaulted into his arms.

“Ryan! What's wrong?” he asked, holding her tightly as she burst into tears.

“This... I don't know what it is but this...magic or whatever... it's starting to scare me,” she sobbed. “He keeps wanting me to stay with him...”

Ian kicked himself then; he probably shouldn't have let Ryan go alone. “He didn't hurt you did he?”

She calmed a bit, taking a few deep breaths. “No... as soon as I got on the defensive he backed down. But he tried to play for my sympathy...”

“Don't worry. I won't let you go alone again. I'm sorry... I wasn't thinking...”

“Ian... no... don't. It... I thought I could trust him. I'm not sure if something is affecting both of us or not... but... somehow, whatever this is... I know he won't hurt me.”

“Even still... next time I go too.”

“All right. Anyway... he told me something interesting we might be able to use... but first, what did you find out from the Cats?”

Ian walked over to the bed with her then, sitting down and accepting Ryan into his arms as she climbed onto his lap and cuddled to his chest, still feeling vulnerable after the strange effects of the magic on her. He held her close, rubbing her back to comfort her.

“It seems his story checks out,” Ian said, his tone almost a bit apologetic in light of Ryan's current state. “Everything he told you is true, and the Cats seem to think he could buy us leverage, like we thought. He's apparently pretty important... he is the very first of his kind...” Something occurred to him then and he gasped, bidding Ryan to look up at him questioningly.

“So wait... if there are more like him... and the one that brought me in here looked like one of his people... then maybe that was a Unicorn too?” Ian ventured.

“Oh my god... that would explain a lot,” Ryan said. “I wouldn't be surprised if we run into both of those people again then.”

“Well I have a few words for them if we do,” he replied. “Anyway, what did you find out?”

“He told me that if Jariel's people knew about his being a wizard, they wouldn't be very happy,” Ryan said. “And they'd really freak out if they found out about Tempest.”

Ian looked thoughtful then. “Jariel did say something about relocating us to the village at the foot of the hill this place is on. But if they're building us a house, that could take a while, and it's probably time we don't have.”

Ryan was about to respond when there was a knock on the door. She slipped off of Ian's lap and went to it, opening it cautiously to find one of the handmaidens from the day before.

“Your baths are drawn, and we've set out fresh clothing for you,” she said. “Breakfast will be with the King in the sunroom, as he would like to speak with you about your new home in the village.”

“Oh... so quickly?” Ryan said, genuinely surprised. Behind her, Ian suddenly felt extremely optimistic.

“Yes,” the handmaiden said. “An elderly man who lived in one cottage passed on a few months ago, unbeknownst to us. So there is a home waiting for you. The villagers are already looking forward to having some new faces to welcome.”

“Oh, well... that's very exciting,” Ryan said, looking back to Ian and winking. “I thought we might have to wait longer, but this is certainly in our favor. We shall make ready and meet with the King shortly.”

“Very well, my lady,” the handmaiden said, taking her leave as Ryan closed the door.

“This is it,” Ian said. “We'll find out what's up, then talk to Tempest. If we can put the bug in someone's ear when we get there, his idea just might work.”

 

 

 

The breakfast with the King was very informative, with Ryan and Ian learning that their new home would be ready in the morning for their arrival. After alerting the Cats via another “evening walk”, the pair waited until later that night, when the manor was pretty much asleep, to seek out Tempest.

"This place gives me the creeps. I don't know why, but I feel like there's ghosts here," he whispered.

Ryan appeared not to be listening at first, instead concentrating on the location of the hidden stairwell leading down to Tempest's room. “I honestly wouldn't be surprised... it was here during the War we keep hearing about, and if this guy is crazy enough to keep Tempest here for over a century, who knows what else he might do.”

They headed down the stairwell, emerging into a corridor that seemed largely deserted, with a few doors to empty sleeping rooms ajar. Ryan led Ian down to the end, where she knocked on one particular door. After a moment it opened cautiously, Tempest's muscular silhouette appearing in the candlelight from within. Ian had not noticed the Unicorn's powerful build upon seeing him in the throne room; his stature intimidated Ian now and he understood why Ryan had become more apprehensive as well.

"Come in. We have much to discuss," Tempest murmured, leaning out to check for anyone watching as he ushered the two Humans in. Locking the door, he motioned for them to sit. He cast a look Ian almost considered longing at Ryan as she sat down on the same chair near the door, which was large enough for Ian to sit next to her in. Ian heard Ryan draw in a deep breath, then felt her reach for his hand.

“So... we're being taken to the village tomorrow, they have a house ready for us. What do we need to do?” Ryan asked.

"I have the animals of the forest for my eyes to the outside," Tempest began. "They tell me there are two Humans in the village below who will bring about an uprising if the seeds are planted for it. When Jariel's footmen escort you to the village tomorrow, you'll be given over to Sarkis, who is the leader of the tribe of Humans there. When he asks you about where you're from, use the story you told when you came here… and then, find a way to slip in that you saw one of the "Star People" here. When he asks for more details, simply tell him the truth about my imprisonment. The fact that Jariel even has me here will be his undoing. The village will band together, and Sarkis will lead them here to overthrow Jariel. In the commotion that ensues, I'll escape with you."

"But Jariel has magic powers. How do we know he won't do something crazy?" Ian questioned.

"His powers are weak at best. He can counteract other magic, but not much else. I think he may only have the mildest of gifts -- but he's smart enough to know that to those who don't know better, he's all-powerful."

Ian nodded. "Well, as long as you think this will be easy…"

"It will be. He's never counted on an uprising… he'll never see it coming," Tempest assured them. “He is not as kind as he appears to be, either. Cross him, and even the Humans under his 'rule' suffer greatly... not to mention many of Mythologica's dwellers who suffered at his hands and the hands of his men during the War.”

“No wonder this place feels haunted,” Ian replied.

Tempest shook his head sadly then. “You have no idea... I have seen much in my time here.”

Ian felt Ryan squeeze his hand then, her body tensing; she seemed to close her eyes against some unseen force. Within her mind Ryan had felt a surge of sadness, the resulting pull to Tempest even stronger now, followed by that other surge of...

Ian was startled by how abruptly Ryan stood up. “We should go,” she said. “We need to see if we can get word to our friends about the plan, then get some rest. Tomorrow may very well be quite a long day.” She pulled on Ian's hand then and he stood up, wrapping an arm protectively around her shoulders. He saw that same longing, saddened look on Tempest's face and the Unicorn seemed to want to say something, but had thought better of it and held back.

“I'm sure we'll see you tomorrow,” she said to Tempest, who looked back with the same expression as she led Ian to the door.

“I shall hold on to hope that all goes as planned,” Tempest said. Ryan then said goodnight and led Ian out the door; Ian was sure she'd break his hand with how tight her grip was.

“I need to get upstairs,” she said. “That's the only way it calms down.”

“What does?” Ian asked as they climbed the stairs back to their floor.

“The... whatever it is. The longer I'm in the same room with him... the more I'm... the more I feel like I'm not in control... and then there's...”

As they slipped back into their room, Ian suddenly realized what Ryan was driving at.

“Is that why you were so freaked out before?” he asked. “Does this... urge... feel like it's forced too?”

“I don't know,” she said. “From what I can tell we feel it at the same time, but I can't tell if he's doing it or if it's just happening to both of us for some reason. But I don't trust him not to act on it...”

“Well, if he does end up making it out and coming with us, I'll have to watch you like a hawk,” Ian said. “I might give the Cats a run for their money if anything happens to you because of... or by... him.”

She wrapped her arms around him then, pressing to him for comfort. “I bet you will,” she replied.

 


	12. Chapter 12

Aracon had been staying near to the manor house since his discovery of Tempest's presence. He'd seen the three Cats as well, and was mildly confused about why they were watching the house until he saw them talking with Ian. The Human's strange mannerisms marked him as someone not of this world, and Aracon began to wonder if the Fates were playing tricks on him. To have the Chosen in the same place as his son was a stroke of luck he couldn't have even petitioned the Goddess to ask for.

It was early morning now, the sky still mostly dark save for a faint sliver of dawn approaching on the horizon. Aracon had moved as close as he dared to where the Cats were; he was unwilling to reveal himself just yet. In the light breeze he caught the scent of the Human, who came to speak with the Cats. Aracon cocked an ear, moving forward slowly until his sharp hearing was within earshot of the conversation.

“-- and then we'll tell this Sarkis about Tempest. He says the village will revolt. We'll come back with them under the guise of taking Jariel down, and when we're back in we'll try to get Tempest out.”

“There's a guards' entrance just around the corner, at the back of the house,” Jaddi told Ian. “They go in and out there to get to the stables. I'll keep watch and when you both return, I'll make sure it's clear.”

“Are you sure you don't want us to come in with you?” Baggi asked. “It's not like anyone will challenge us.”

“I'd love that, but it's going to be enough of a challenge getting Tempest out, let alone three Cats. If we can get back out the same way we came in we'll be set. But just in case keep watch on the three sides that aren't the main entrance. We could end up flying out of anywhere,” Ian advised them.

“All right. One way or another we'll catch up to you,” Jaddi said, sounding more than a bit concerned. He reached for Ian's hand then, clasping his forearm with a massive, clawed hand, which Ian returned.

“May the Goddess speed your flight,” Jaddi said. “We won't rest until we see you all free.”

 

 

 

Ian and Ryan were taken via a wagon, driven by the same scout who had surprised them on foot in the woods, down to the Human village. As they rode through, Ian noticed that it seemed a lot like the villages he'd read about and seen in fantasy books and movies. For the most part, the people seemed content, even though Ryan did point out that some of the small homes they lived in were rather weather-beaten. They pulled up in front of a small mud-brick house, with three men and two women waiting outside.

“ 'Ere ya go Sarkis, yer new residents,” the scout said as Ian and Ryan jumped down from the back of the wagon. “Good luck wit'ya, we'll see each other whenever I come through for... wares.” He then climbed up onto the wagon, flicking the reigns to get the horse moving as he swung it around to head back toward the manor.

“He means 'taxes', Sarkis growled. “You're lucky we've a few openings for work, you won't be living free here for long.”

“I thought as much,” Ian said, holding onto Ryan's hand. “Cheerful fellow, that one.”

Sarkis snorted with a wry smirk. “I like you, boy. Keep sharpening that wit and we'll get along fine. Ah, my manners. My name's Sarkis, I'm... I guess they elected me mayor but I think I'm probably the only one who knows how to run this place.”

“I'm Ian, and this is my wife Ryan,” Ian responded. The requisite hand-shaking and pleasantries were then exchanged between Sarkis and the two men and women.

“It's not much,” Sarkis said, motioning to the house, “but I had this bunch clean it up and we rounded up some furnishings.” They led them into the house then; it was about the size of a small studio apartment, with everything contained pretty much in one large room.

“Really, anything is better than the manor,” Ian said. “There are certainly some strange folk living there.”

Sarkis angled his head curiously. “How's that?” He cast a glance over to his two male companions.

“We were rather unnerved by Jariel's son,” Ian continued. “He didn't bear much of a resemblance to him. He was a full head and shoulders taller, and his eyes were abnormally large, as if perhaps there was some... affliction.”

“One of the servants told us he is one of the 'Star People',” Ryan said. “Jariel seems to keep him bound with some sort of wizardry.”

Sarkis' eyes had gone wide then; the women had both gasped in unison, then ran out of the house. “There have been whispers for years that there was something amiss there, that Jariel never seems to age. Did you see any of this wizardry happen?”

“Not directly,” Ian said, “but we're fairly certain he may have attempted to pair off my wife with his 'son'. She kept feeling some sort of enchantment fall over her whenever she drew near him.”

Ryan nodded then, wrapping her arms around Ian, pretending to seek comfort. “Yes... it was quite disturbing... this 'son' was quite unnerving and strange, and I am happy to be rid of him.”

By this time Sarkis was visibly angered. “So that's what happens when Jariel orders his men to bring him our women of age – and sometimes, they don't come back,” he growled, the other two men also quite agitated now. “He's been calling himself the King of this land for years, when everyone knows no Human would ever be allowed to be King of this land. We've probably managed to stay here only because we haven't angered the Elves yet. But this crackpot might yet bring down their wrath. I don't know about you boys but I think it's time we finally do something about this liar.”

“I'll get right on it boss!” one of the two men said. “We've been waiting for some firsthand news to give us good reason to revolt. I think we have it now!” The two men then hurried out of the house.

“You young'uns stay here,” Sarkis said. “We've got enough people in this village to take down that liar's home. Once we've gotten ourselves free of him and his rule, we'll give you a proper welcome.” He then stalked out of the house, heading toward the village center; Ian could already hear some shouting beginning to fill the air.

“Well, I think it worked,” Ian said. “Now we just have to get mixed up in the commotion and get back to the house.”

The noise level outside had already begun to rise; Ryan peered out between the slats of a handmade blind over one of the windows. “I don't think we'll be waiting long either,” she affirmed.

Just then, there was a tap at one of the windows at the back of the room; Ian frowned curiously but went to peer out the blind – and grinned when he saw Baggi's face on the other side. He opened the back door but the Cat declined to come in.

“Hurry!” she hissed, keeping her voice down. “If you slip out with me now, you won't be seen if we stay on the other side of these brambles. Jaddi is watching the guard door.”

Ian grabbed Ryan's hand and they followed Baggi, who led them through an almost completely hidden spot in the brambles that appeared to have been used as a pass through. The village had gotten louder, with most of its dwellers, men and women, gathering in the center; Ian recognized Sarkis' bellowing voice, but couldn't make out what he was saying. Baggi led them along the narrow path, that became more difficult as it grew steeper the farther up the hill they went. Finally, they emerged into the tree line just outside the house. So far, no one seemed aware of anything amiss.

“The guard entrance is just around here,” Jaddi said, leading them around the side, the trees stopping at a sharp angle, probably man-made, to then curve around the stables. The guard entrance was open and, ironically, unguarded.

“We don't know where it goes to,” Ian said, “but it's going to be our only option, because the house thinks we're gone.”

Suddenly, a sound that Ian had thought was possibly wind kicking up down in the valley began to grow louder; he looked over toward the slope that lead down to the village, and saw a thick crowd of people – many brandishing some kind of weapon, and several on horseback – storming up the hill.

“Okay! Ryan, we have to go now, hurry!” Before the Cats could react, Ian and Ryan made a run for it, making it to the guard entrance just as the beginnings of the throng of villagers began to swarm around the base of the house. Ian pulled the door closed, then looked into the doorway just inside.

“That way looks to be the guard quarters,” he said, “What's that way?”

“A stairwell,” Ryan said. “If I'm thinking correctly... we're on the same corner of the house as the stairs to Tempest's floor...” Suddenly, almost as if speaking his name invoked it, she felt the same magical guidance pull her; for a few moments, she saw the stairway in her mind, going up five floors total, indeed opening out onto Tempest's floor. “Yes, this is it, come on!” She began to sprint up the stairs, Ian taking off at top speed behind her.

 

 

 

“Sire! The peasants are revolting!"

Jariel had thought the rumbling he'd heard was the thunder of an approaching storm, but he'd found that it was actually the entire population of the village below working at breaking down the doors of his home.

"What has caused this?" Jariel bellowed. "I'll have their heads!"

"They… they have found out about the Unicorn… and now, they want revenge for your deceit…"

Jariel's face turned pale. "Who told them…" And even as he asked the question, the answer filled his mind.

“Find my son,” he growled. “He probably reached out to those two strangers and coerced them into this tyranny. Once we've dealt with this, he'll be the first to pay... with his life, and slowly, if I have any say.”

 

 

 

"We must go this way. Do not be afraid. It is dark, but otherwise harmless. I think this is the first time since I've been here that it's been left unguarded."

Ian and Ryan indeed found Tempest's room, exactly as Ryan had seen. As they'd tried to return down the stairwell they heard guards coming up, so Tempest had led them to a similar stairwell on the opposite end of the corridor that led to what appeared to be a dungeon. Ryan was sure some of the swords she saw in a room that looked to be for confiscated goods looked a lot like those the Elves carried, and armor not unlike that which she'd seen the Cats wearing. Once through the storage area, the surroundings were more chilling -- abandoned cells that still played home to piles of bones, some with wrists and ankles still chained to the walls, confirming Tempest's stories about dark things happening during the War.

The trio paused at the entrance to a completely black passage with stairs leading up, leaving Ian wishing he had one of the Elves' glowing lightstones. Taking the lead, Ian made the first move, advancing into the darkness, with Ryan following and Tempest bringing up the rear. The passage seemed to go on forever, then finally, Ian felt the stairs come to an end. Running his hands over the last few stairs ahead, he found the last one just under a wooden trapdoor above him. He placed both palms against it, pushed up…and nothing happened.

"It's locked, from the outside, I think," he said. "Damn!"

"I may be able to force it open," Tempest replied.

"I'd love to have you try, but there's no way for you to get up here without all three of us going back down. There's barely enough room for _me_ in here… you've got to be a little cramped."

As Tempest was about to answer, a faint noise alerted the trio; the sound translated into voices, and the two Humans heard Tempest gasp.

"The guards! They're coming… I'm sure they're looking for me…"

"All right!" Ryan yelped. "Ian, flatten down against the stairs, I'll do the same. Tempest, try to climb over us and _get that door open!"_ she cried, her voice laced with panic.

Ian followed her instructions, and at Ryan's signal, Tempest flattened himself, sliding over the backs of the two Humans until he could feel the trapdoor. As Ian and Ryan inched backwards, slipping out from beneath him, Tempest braced his hands against the rotting wood and pushed. Behind them, the voices got louder, and footsteps became audible as they progressed up the stairs behind them.

_"Hurry!"_   Ryan cried, "they're coming!"

"I'm… trying…" Tempest growled through gritted teeth, unable to get enough leverage in his awkward position to effectively break through the door. He could see slivers of daylight between the slowly bending slats, the faint wisps of fresh air promising freedom. He knew the strength was there -- it had been until Jariel had discovered it, and waylaid it with a spell. If he could just find it again…

"I can't do it… it won't give way…" Tempest felt his voice breaking as despair overtook him, panic rising as the guards' shouts drew closer. If they caught him, Jariel would surely show no mercy this time…

"You can do this, Tempest! I believe in you!" Ryan wasn't sure where the words were coming from; but somehow, she knew it was what he needed to hear...

The surge within his heart her words evoked was enough. With a roar of desperation, Tempest threw all his weight against the tortured wood. With an ear-splitting crack the door gave way, wood and splinters exploding outward. Vaulting out, he spun around, reached back in and grabbed both Humans by the backs of their shirts as they climbed up the stairs. Hauling them out of the passage, Tempest took flight, running like the wind after tucking one Human under each arm as he fled blindly into the forest.

 

 

 

From his perch in a tree high above the commotion on the opposite side of where guards' entrance had been, Goldmane saw the trapdoor – which he'd noticed as he had watched for any sign of Ian and Ryan – begin to bow outward, then finally explode, producing a being he identified as a Unicorn Immortal, and then Ryan and Ian. He saw the Immortal pick up the two Humans and set off at a speed only one of his people could reach, going back up the way they'd come to the manor. Deciding that no one would notice it in the rioting below, Goldmane let out a roar to alert Baggi and Jaddi, who were at the back and opposite side of the building respectively. He caught their attention and motioned to follow him; he saw the two white shapes start racing down their trees and he did the same. They met at Goldmane's end of the building and took off in pursuit, catching up the Humans' scent and hitting top speed by dropping to run on all fours, in full-out hunt-and-chase mode.

As the Cats disappeared into the dense foliage another white shape also using the cover of the Humans' chaos broke free of the woods and flashed through the clearing, the forest swallowing him up before even one of the Humans now swarming around the manor home noticed. Aracon galloped faster than he even though he was capable of, using the feel of Tempest's freed presence in his soul as a guide and praying to the Goddess they wouldn't get too far and be lost to the forest and its dangers once more.

 


	13. Chapter 13

The Cats had run for quite some time, finally stopping to catch their breaths. They'd seen little sign of the Immortal or his two companions, and now as they regained their strength, they looked and sniffed around for clues of where they might have gone.

“I've got something... that's got to be him. The scent is like one of them, and I'm almost certain I smell Ian and Ryan mixed in. And look at those high branches -- only something his height would break those," Goldmane said.

"If he's as big as some of the others I've seen, his strides will be long enough to take them quite far very quickly. I hope we can catch up to them," Jaddi asserted.

"He's been imprisoned, with his powers stifled, for a long time," Baggi noted. "He may have the strength at first, but he'll be like the prey we hunt. Fear will drive him -- but he'll tire soon enough."

Baggi huffed worriedly then, following the broken branches to establish where their path continued. “He'd better not hurt either of them in his flight,” he asserted. “I don't think the Unicorn would take too kindly to either of them coming to the Palace injured.”

“I won't take kindly to them being harmed at all,” Goldmane growled.

“Peace, son. The Unicorn is likely not thinking clearly right now. We need to follow the trail but at a pace we can watch more closely. I am sure we will find them before too much farther,” Jaddi assured him. With that he set off at a fast jog on two legs, with Goldmane and Baggi bringing up the rear, catching the scent of the Humans once more.

 

 

 

Tempest had run, with Ian and Ryan in tow, for quite some distance before he'd suddenly collapsed. He was now curled on the forest floor, having apparently passed out from overexertion. Ian looked around, trying to discern if their surroundings looked familiar; he found nothing that showed him where they were, or if they'd been that way before.

"I have _no_ idea where we are, or if we're anywhere near them. Unless we find them, we're screwed," Ian said.

"Tempest can get to the Palace, he says he knows the way…" Ryan stopped short as Tempest stirred, groaning wearily as he rose to a sitting position. Once again fighting the urge to go to him as she somehow sensed his distress, she instead walked over carefully, bending down to peer at his face, which was obscured by his hair. "… are you all right?" she asked.

Tempest slowly rose up to a seated position, pushing his hair back with one hand and blinking as he fought to regain his bearings. "Yes, I'm all right, just… forgot to breathe…" His voice trailed off as his eyes drifted from Ryan's to his surroundings. Rising, he took in the lush green forest, listening to the chattering birds and animals, and the light breeze in the trees. As he turned to face his companions, they found his face streaked with tears.

"By… by the Goddess," he spoke, his voice a choked, teary whisper, “after more than an Age... I am free."

 

 

 

Night fell swiftly, it seemed, and although Ian, Ryan and Tempest had stayed where they'd stopped that afternoon in the hopes they'd be found by their companions, there was still no sign of the Cats. Ian found enough thick branches to construct a makeshift shelter over the cleft formed by the roots of one of the massive trees for himself and Ryan, and was now pondering what he could do for Tempest, who was as big as Jaddi at the very least.

"I could probably check by that group of dead trees back that way… there might be enough to put something together," he said.

"No, I'd warn against that," Tempest replied. "Without the moon, or even with it, it is far too easy to lose your place. This forest is said to change on a whim -- and many of the trees have spirits within them that decide to take flight now and again. And if it's all the same to you, it's been a long time since I had nothing but the trees and sky above me. I will be fine here."

Ian nodded. "Well, then, I think I'm going to at the very least try to get a nap under here. Ryan, you coming?"

Ryan blinked, apparently lost in thought. "Huh?" Oh, not yet, I'm too wound up. I'll be there in a bit."

"You sure?” he asked, feeling uneasy about leaving Ryan alone with Tempest. She walked over to him then, reaching up to hug him while Tempest's back was turned to them.

“You know I can scream pretty damn loud,” she smirked. “But seriously, I'm way too strung out right now. I'll be okay. It seems like when I confront him he backs down. Go and rest.”

“All right,” Ian said, feeling only slightly comforted. “But grab one of those branches and keep it near you.”

Ryan smirked at that. “I'll keep it close,” she giggled, giving him a playful shove toward the shelter.

As Ian went inside, Ryan sat down near Tempest, making note of the branch Ian had mentioned. The moon had risen, dappling the forest floor through the canopy of leaves far above. She watched Tempest, who sat curled with knees to chest, gazing at the sky. For a long while he remained that way, occasionally wrapping his arms around himself, shuddering, apparently shaking off a memory. All the while, Ryan slowly moved closer to him until she was finally seated next to him; she laid the branch off to her right on the ground, just out of his line of vision. After a few moments, her presence crept into his subconscious, and he awoke from his trance.

"Oh… I did not see you there," he said softly.

"Are you all right? You seem upset somehow," Ryan questioned.

"My gifts are returning to me," Tempest answered. "Jariel's magic was so deep within me for so long, it took some time to fade."

"What kinds of things can you do?"

"I can speak with my mind to others able to hear, like Elves, who speak that way, and animals. I can cause pain, and heal it. I can make anyone feel anything."

"Like what?"

Tempest turned to her then, his huge eyes catching the moonlight from above. Raising a hand and hovering it over Ryan, it at first seemed nothing was happening – and she then let out a startled yelp as she felt a hand on her shoulder from behind. Whirling around, she found no one there; just as she was about to call for Ian, she felt a hand take hers into it -- but when she looked down, there was nothing there.

“It's all right,” Tempest reassured her. “It's my magic.”

"That's… bizarre… What could you possibly do with that?" she asked.

"It is part of my ability to change the body, to heal it. It's useful in other ways," he added with a smile. It took Ryan a few moments to understand the subtle hint... and something else was immediately confirmed. She averted her eyes for a few moments, making sure the branch was still within her reach.

"Really," she responded, feeling the edges of the same fuzziness in her brain again. "And… how do you know this?"

He chuckled at that. "I've had a chance to find out now and again… well... when I would find a way to temporarily break Jariel's shields on me. Some of the maidens in the house were curious of my abilities… I learned much of what is within me when my powers came in, much as any young Human would, save for that I learned that I could embellish such dalliances with my gifts. Jariel didn't know what I would become when he took me prisoner as a child, and it took him quite some time to control me. I kept finding a way to break through, and he'd find another way to block me for a time."

Ryan was quiet then, beginning to feel more apprehensive. The fuzziness in her brain seemed to be increasing a bit, and she fought inwardly to control it.

"And what of you? Is your companion truly your husband?" he asked.

Ryan was startled by the question at first, but then remembered that there was no reason to keep up that part of the ruse any longer. “No... it was just a story we used when Jariel's men stumbled on us just outside the manor.”

“Do you love him?” Tempest asked, his tone both curious and concerned.

"Well… I'm not sure... Ian and I have been very close but in our world, my parents were trying to keep us apart. And we were going to be forced to be apart anyway so...” Her voice trailed off and she sighed heavily. “I had been hiding my feelings for so long because of my mother not liking him, but since we've been here I've been able to show them to him... and I think maybe---”

A loud roar suddenly pierced the quiet of the forest night. At first, Ryan thought it was one of the Cats… but as Ian emerged, the look on his face showed otherwise. "I… think we'd better run…" he stammered.

Ian never finished his sentence, a loud cracking from behind them cutting it off sharply… and gathering fear pushed back the rest of the thought.

The creature was probably bigger than the dragon they'd faced on their first day, but infinitely more hideous. As it came into the clearing, the myriad of heads sparked something in Ian's memory.

"It's a… Chimera…" he murmured, frozen with terror.

The Chimera moved forward slowly, the lion's head sniffing at both Ian and Ryan, passing them by. It came to a stop in front of Tempest, its lips curling back into an evil grimace at his scent.

"You are one of them," it hissed, raising its snake tail to curl toward the Unicorn. "And so you must die."

Ryan shrieked in response as for some reason she _felt_ his fear, spurring her to attempt to run to Tempest, but Ian snatched her up, holding her back as he backed away from the creature. She became more hysterical as the beast slammed a huge paw into Tempest, sending him crumbling to the ground. Pinning the Unicorn with the same paw, the snake tail poised its fangs over Tempest's jugular vein…

A sudden flash of light, brighter than any lightning, blinded everyone in the clearing. When vision returned to them, each opened their eyes to find the Chimera gone… and in its stead, glowing regally in the light of the newly risen moon, stood a First Unicorn. Sparks of magic were still floating down to the forest floor like sparks from a firework, fading out without causing damage to a single blade of grass.

For a few moments, it didn't register in Ian's mind what he was seeing, until the animal turned his head, moonlight flashing off of the nearly three-foot-long, golden horn. It took a few steps toward Tempest, who was rising slowly, shaking off the pounding he'd taken from the Chimera. Tempest's head snapped up at a small wicker from the Unicorn and their eyes locked, remaining focused only on each other for several moments until Tempest rose. Wrapping his arms around the beast's neck, he buried his face in the Unicorn's mane and wept for a time, with the animal nuzzling him gently, apparently in reassurance. Finally, Tempest's attention slowly returned to his Human companions, and he nudged the Unicorn to face them, its violet eyes appraising them.

"He has tracked us since this morning… in my fear, I ran away from the Palace rather than follow its call," Tempest said. "He cannot speak to you yet… we must be closer to the Palace before you will be able to hear his Song."

Ryan took a tentative step forward then, wanting to see the creature more closely; Ian grasped her arm, holding her back.

"Humans aren't supposed to touch them. If you do, it brings death upon them. I've read that before…" Ian said, his voice quavering with awe.

Tempest smiled softly. "There are many stories. Our kind are not so fragile as some are led to believe." Tempest stepped forward then, reaching for and taking Ryan's hand in his, leading her over to the Unicorn. The animal dipped its snow-white head to her hand, nuzzling her palm with a velvety nose. She ran her hand over the Unicorn's face, longing to, but refraining from, touching his shimmering horn, which she was almost certain not only emitted its own inner light, but a barely audible hum of some kind.

"Does he have a name?" Ian said, walking over and tentatively placing a hand on the beast's heavily muscled shoulder; in response he turned his head, nudging Ian's shoulder with his nose in greeting.

Tempest smiled again, draping an arm over the Unicorn's broad shoulders as it turned in response to nuzzle chest affectionately. "Yes… his name is Aracon… and he is my father."

 


	14. Chapter 14

“Ah! Look here! I think this is a bit of Ryan’s shirt, she was wearing this color when I saw them…” Goldmane plucked the small scrap of deerskin from the broken branch, sniffing it closely just to be certain. “Yes, it’s hers…”

Baggi sniffed at the trail, hackles raising. “There’s another scent mixed with theirs… and it’s foul.”

“Any blood?” Jaddi asked worriedly.

“Not here. Their scent is over on these bushes… they’re broken, too, so he must have carried them that way,” Goldmane responded. “The foul scent is newer, so whatever it was followed them.”

Baggi went on ahead, sniffing at the trees and earth. “The Immortal’s scent is stronger here… I think we’re getting closer.”

“I hope so… I don’t like this foul smell… I’ve a feeling they’re in danger,” Goldmane said.

 

 

 

“Our friends the Cats told us about the legend,” Ryan affirmed. “I should have known.” Ian frowned curiously then, realizing that Ryan was alluding to whatever this magic link was between her and Tempest. He'd hoped it was Jariel's doing, but as it seemed to have remained, he was now more concerned than ever as to whether or not Tempest was truly safe.

Aracon raised his head then, sniffing at the wind; Ian and Ryan felt a chill go through them. “What is it? Is that… thing coming back?” Ryan asked nervously.

Tempest paused, appearing to be communicating with Aracon in some non-verbal way. Turning to look behind them, he was about to answer when a white shape emerged from the trees.

“Baggi!” Ryan cried, running to her, prompting the She-Cat to huff amusedly as Ryan embraced her.

“Yes, we finally caught up to you,” Baggi replied. “Are you sure your new friend hasn’t got wings?”

Tempest bowed his head, embarrassed. “That was a bit of an accident…” he responded.

Jaddi and Goldmane emerged then, and Aracon turned, giving a soft whinny of greeting.

“We know each other rather well,” Jaddi noted in response to Ian’s questioning expression. “I was a kitling when I met him – I’d been chased down by a pack of wolves. He rescued me… and we’ve crossed paths now and again.”

Goldmane was circling the clearing, hackles bristling, sniffing the air. “That stench…”

“The Chimera. He sensed my presence and followed us. Father pushed him to a place away from us, but once he recovers from the spell, he’s sure to return,” Tempest answered.

“It's just as well that you've made camp here,” Baggi said. “I think we should rest for now, and start for the Palace in the morning.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Ian agreed. “I really could use the crash right about now.”

In response, Aracon raised his head, his horn taking on a brighter glow than that given it by the moonlight. The glow spread to the low branches of the trees around them, and they began to interlock, forming a canopy large enough for the Cats, Humans and Tempest. Jaddi and Baggi opted to go off to hunt for food, while Goldmane curled just outside the mouth of the shelter Ian had made previously to protect Ian and Ryan as they bedded down inside. Tempest joined Aracon as the Unicorn rested, conversing via the Unicorns’ telepathic way of speech.

Inside the shelter, Ian moved closer to Ryan, placing an arm around her as he had the first few nights they’d spent in the forest. He was concerned for a few moments when she shuddered visibly at his touch, then finally pressed against his chest.

“Hey, you okay?” he asked, concerned.

“I’m fine... I just need to sleep I think,” she responded.

“Are you sure? I mean, the Chimera was pretty freaky…”

“It's not that... it's...” she sighed heavily, burying her face into his chest. “It's nothing...”

“Hold up. If something has you more shook up than that Chimera I think you need to talk about it,” Ian affirmed, his voice soft.

“I just... I don't know what's happening... I can't figure out why I was so intent to rescue him... back in the castle... something about how I felt... wasn't 'me'... Maybe I'm just exhausted, I don't know.”

“Ry, but that is you... you've always been open to helping people, no matter who they are. I'll admit you seemed a little more determined about it than I've seen you about anything before, but... we're not exactly in a normal situation here. Just let it go... we got him out and once we get to this Palace, our part for him is done.”

Ryan nodded then; her silent reply however told Ian she wasn't completely convinced or at ease with what he'd said. After trying to keep the thought at bay, Ian began to believe more strongly that Tempest was doing something to Ryan to make her feel the way she was, though he wasn't sure what he could do about it. It was that thought that stayed in the forefront of his mind as he drifted off into an uneasy sleep, arms wrapped protectively around the only girl in his short life he was becoming more and more certain that he had ever truly loved.

 

 

 

The group set off again in the morning, back-tracking over the ground Tempest had mistakenly tread the day before and giving the manor home of Jariel a wide berth despite Ian's admitted curiosity of how the revolt had turned out. Much of the day passed uneventfully, with everyone pretty much remaining silent until they stopped to rest at mid-day.

Ian had been the most quiet of all, keeping pace with Goldmane at the rear of the group. Now, as Jaddi and Baggi scouted for game, Ian wandered off a bit away, disappearing from sight behind the trees. At first, he thought himself to be alone, but he caught the broken bits of a conversation on the light breeze. Following the voices, he stopped and peered through the branches of the hedgerow where just beyond in a small clearing Tempest and Ryan sat discussing something. She was sitting close to him, and as Tempest explained a bit more about the Chimera to her, he moved close enough to brush Ryan's arm. Ian for a few moments wondered if he should take his leave, as their interaction seemed innocuous. But he then remembered his conversation with Ryan the night before, and decided to wait before leaving, staying concealed in the foliage.

“We never finished talking last night,” Tempest said to Ryan, who was finishing an apple Aracon had assured her was safe to eat.

“About what?” she replied, genuinely having forgotten about their conversation after the Chimera's appearance.

“I asked you about Ian,” Tempest responded.

Ryan paused then, the question Tempest had posed to her returning to her mind. For a few moments, the answer was clear to her and she was about to respond. In the hedgerow, Ian realized he was holding his breath.

“I... I'm getting closer to figuring it out, I think,” she replied. “I mean... he's always there for me... He's the only guy who ever 'got' me... I...think I do...”

It was then that Ian saw it. As Ryan spoke, Tempest's gaze fixed on her intently; a moment after, Ian saw a faint glow envelop Tempest.

“But what if there was another... who feels for you as well...” Tempest asked.

“I... well... I don't know...” Ryan stammered, a confused expression crossing her face.

It was all the confirmation Ian needed. At first reluctant to leave, worried for what might transpire, he finally turned and caught sight of Aracon grazing on the tall grass about the bases of the trees in the main clearing. Deciding that Aracon was close enough to lead him back quickly, he made his way over to the Unicorn, who raised his head as he heard Ian's quick steps.

~You are troubled, young friend.~

Ian blinked, confounded by the gentle voice within his mind. He found Aracon’s violet eyes trained upon him, his horn glowing a soft golden aura.

~Your mind and heart believe… and so it is that I can touch it. Much easier than I expected. The Goddess has chosen well,~ the Unicorn said.

“Can you read my thoughts?” Ian asked, moving closer to the animal.

~No. You can hear me, however you do not have the power to project your responses... at least, not yet. But it is enough to allow us to speak.~

Ian nodded then, his mind too full of the issue at hand to think much about the sudden ability to communicate with the mythological being. “Can I ask you something about your magic?” he asked Aracon.

~But of course.~

“Can you control people’s minds, or bodies?”

~My people, what the Unicorn Immortals call the “First”, cannot. But Tempest’s kind can do many things. When they execute their gifts on each other, both are strong enough to resist if they so choose. But it is forbidden for a Unicorn Immortal to use his gifts on a Human, for they cannot resist doing as the Unicorn wills.~

More confirmation. “I… I think Tempest has broken the rules, then,” Ian replied. He then filled Aracon in on the events in Jariel’s house, and of the past days. At the end of it, the Unicorn bowed his head, appearing saddened.

~Were he raised among his kin, Tempest would never have dreamed of toying with Ryan’s being. But his century of captivity has shattered his spirit. He is in need of healing… but until then, he must be taught right from wrong.~

“So what will happen to him?”

~I cannot punish him harshly for his actions – he is unaware that he is in the wrong. But I will put a stop to it. Ryan’s heart and mind must be clear to the task at hand. Nothing must divert us from our course. The very souls of every being in Mythologica depend on our success.~

Despite the problem at hand, Ian found an unexpected segueway to another question on his mind. “Okay, then… explain to me why Ryan and I were brought here.”

~The Circle was begun when one of our kind, Silver Light, created a breach between your world and ours. To close it, we needed to find one, or as it seems, two, souls from that same world he was lost to, to be brought here to heal it. There are none of this world that would aid us now. Those outside our borders sought to destroy us once, and if they knew of this new evil, they would surely take our world for good. Your hearts are pure – you can see the good from evil, and possess no magic that can be turned against us. As such you have the power to restore the Idol to wholeness.~

“The Idol?”

~Our icon, our touch to the Goddess. The Chimera took its horn. We must get it back, and one of you must heal it.~

“How the hell are we supposed to fight that thing?” Ian gasped, wide-eyed.

~The ways have yet to show themselves. First we must bring you both to the safety of the Palace. Then our course of action can be made.~

“Well then, I think both of us being safe will entail you getting a handle on whatever Tempest is up to... and we need to do it quickly. They're talking in the clearing over there, and he's not playing fair.”

Aracon blinked then, tossing his head. “Show me.”

 


	15. Chapter 15

Ryan's mind had become more clouded as she and Tempest spoke.

“I... I think I need to rest. My head feels like it's full of sand right now and I'm not feeling very....”

Tempest put his arm around her then, pulling her closer. “Perhaps we can lie together... I haven't properly thanked you for saving me, anyway...”

Through the fog in her mind, Ryan felt every alarm go off; in response she attempted to slip out from within the hold of Tempest's arm. “I... don't even know why I agreed so easily... I don't... I don't even know you... or why I'm feeling like this...”

“Like what?” Tempest smiled then, his arm tightening around her a bit in response to her attempt to move away.

“Like I'm not in control, and like I have done things I wouldn't have normally done...”

~You had no control. Tempest used his powers to enlist your aid in his escape,~ Aracon said as he emerged into the clearing where Tempest and Ryan were. ~He does not understand what he has done.~

Ryan felt the fog in her mind suddenly lift, Tempest's arm releasing her as Ian walked quickly toward her. She stood up and rushed into his embrace; Ian felt her shaking in his arms.

~Your heart and mind are made willing by his magic, which he is misusing due to having been raised by Humans. Go to the others. I will speak with Tempest.~

Ian felt Ryan begin to tremble more as her thoughts from the night before were confirmed. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders as he walked her back to their shelter. Tempest rose, attempting to follow, but Aracon stayed him.

**I must go to her,** Tempest insisted. **Make her see that she is to be with me...**

~No, Tempest, she is not. You sensed her pure heart and grasped it, gained your freedom by it, and sought to use her to explore the things you’ve yet to learn to use. If you were within the Palace’s walls, you would be punished for this. But the Humans have destroyed your soul… and so you abuse your gifts,~ Aracon said.

**But I didn’t hurt her…**

~I believe you came quite close to doing so. If you continue, you will not be received kindly when we return to the Palace. I must put a stop to this, or you shall not be allowed to come to your true home, despite the reasons you should be forgiven. And I have fought too long and hard to see you returned for that to be. But most importantly, you cannot be allowed to destroy our only chance to save our kind.~

 

 

 

Ian walked Ryan back to the shelter, both of them ducking inside. He was startled as Ryan suddenly pulled away, sitting down heavily and curling into a ball, dissolving into tears.

“Ian… oh God… I’ve been so stupid…”

“No, it’s not your fault. He messed with your head...”

“And almost my body... and I almost let him... what the hell is wrong with me...”

He hurried over to her then, sitting down and pulling her tightly to him. “Nothing! Nothing is wrong with you, it was him... Aracon says he's misusing his magic... I don't completely understand it but... yeah...”

She sobbed against his chest for a while, her arms nearly crushing him in their embrace. Finally, she looked up though her reddened eyes; his heart broke at her tear-stained, exhausted face.

“There's one thing he did help me realize though...”

“What?”

Ian was prepared for her worded reply, but instead, Ryan suddenly leaned heavily into him, her lips pressing hard into his, more tears welling up and streaming down her face as she kissed him deeply. After a few confused moments, he began to return it, his arms tightening around her; he let her take the lead, the kiss lasting for several long moments before she finally was sobbing too hard to breathe and backed off for air, gasping as she tried to regain her head. Her hands came up then to cradle his face, her green eyes locked with his blue ones.

“I love you. _You_ ," she said emphatically. “And I waited too goddamned long to say it because I was sure I was going to lose you when you left... I was sure I had to give up on us... Someone was going to find you and realize what a great guy you are....”

Ian was sure his heart was going to burst out of his chest. “No... I had every intention in the world of waiting for you... I love you too Ryan...”

She sobbed even harder then, crushing him again in another tight hug. “Oh Ian, I want to go home. I just want to go home and be with you...”

“I know. I do too. But first we have to do something very important. Aracon kind of explained it to me. I’ll fill you in once you calm down.”

Ryan raised her face to him then, tears still staining her cheeks as she leaned in to kiss him again. “I’m sorry,” she whispered against his lips, “for being such a fool, for believing him.”

“Shh… he saw you for what you are, a caring, giving person, and used it. Maybe we still would have helped him, but he didn’t give it a chance to happen on its own. I almost feel sorry for him. He was desperate, and didn’t understand that he was wrong.”

“But that doesn’t excuse what he did,” Ryan sobbed bitterly. “He’d better keep his distance. I want nothing more to do with him if I have any say.”

 

 

 

It began to rain not long after so the group elected to stay where they were, with Aracon expanding the shelter to accommodate everyone. Ryan lay curled in Ian’s arms, sleeping fitfully as he dozed along with her in their private shelter. The Cats were intertwined in a massive furball, arms and legs interlocked, fast asleep.

However, Aracon himself was out in the rain, attempting to coax Tempest in from the cubbyhole he’d found in the nearby hedgerow. The Unicorn Immortal had become despondent, refusing to eat and to come in out of the weather.

~This will solve nothing, Tempest. Your shields are still weak. You could fall ill very quickly, and my healing powers are up to chance at best with the way things are.~

~So let me die,~ Tempest replied. ~I have nothing now. Without her, my soul is empty.~

Aracon paused then, pondering Tempest’s words. ~Tempest, you are Unicorn. You cannot Lifebond to a Human.~

**There is a Lifebond. You are keeping it from me.**

~No. The “Bond” you thought was there was your own magic.~

**No. the moment I saw her, I felt it. A pull. Something made me do what I did. I... somehow I knew within it that it did not feel well...**

Aracon suddenly felt cold, remembering the spark of magic he'd sent to Tempest when he was still locked in the manor; the will to live, to escape, to find a way. Aracon realized that he himself had made a grave error: His own magic may have pushed Tempest's soul to seek out the Bond. In Tempest's weakened state, the Unicorn soul had conflicted with the weaker Human blood, causing the Human half of Tempest to Bond to the fully-Human Ryan. In light of this, he attempted to be gentle with his half-Human son.

~Tempest, you have sent these words, so I know there must be truth to them. We will look into rectifying this, for it should not be as it is.~

~No! If we are meant to be together, then let it be so. How do you know your magic is not stopping our union from being?~

Aracon stopped short then, realizing that his magic had both caused the inadvertent Lifebond, and was now causing Tempest pain by blocking it. However, knowing Ryan’s mind would not be clear if he took down the magical shield between them and that the Bond should not exist at all, he attempted to placate Tempest for the time being.

~She must be strong for the task at hand. One distraction could wreck all when the time comes. For now, I will ease your soul’s pain, and once things have been put to rights, we will explore the Bond further. It will remain, but quieted for now within you both.~

~But what if they fail?~

Aracon shuddered at the thought. ~By the Grace of the Goddess, let us pray they do not,~ he replied.

 

 

 

The rain continued into the night and so the group stayed put, with Aracon convincing Tempest to come inside the shelter with him. Having quieted the wound in Tempest’s soul with a healing shield, the Unicorn Immortal was finally able to sleep.

As the thunder drew closer, heralding the worst of the storm, within his sleep Aracon felt something much more menacing – a foreboding, then a panic… He snapped awake, finding no way to stop it…

Everyone was wrenched awake by an agonized, despairing cry from Tempest, and were met by the Immortal writhing where he had been sleeping, grasping his chest. Aracon reared, head tossing and tail lashing as he let out a shriek of equine terror. The Cats sprang to their feet, watching for enemies; Ian and Ryan grasped each other in fear. Within a few tense moments, the two Unicorns’ actions subsided, but the Cats remained placed equidistant around the shelter, bristling, teeth bared.

Tempest lay whimpering, curled in a ball, as if something had hurt him somehow. Ryan, though her eyes were buried in Ian’s shoulder, felt an overwhelming pull to Tempest – the same feeling she’d had upon seeing him for the first time, the difference being that now, she was in control of her reaction to it. Willingly, she raised her head, looking up to see what had happened to him.

“What… what was that?” Ian finally ventured, breaking the silence in the woods.

Aracon shook off his apparent shock with a deep-throated rumble. Dipping his head down to nuzzle Tempest comfortingly, he raised his face to the sky above.

~It grows darker with each passing hour… the Chimera has murdered Firewind,~ Aracon responded, his “voice” laden with sorrow.

“Firewind?” Ryan questioned, still forcing back the urge to go to Tempest, who was rising slowly, scrubbing tears from his face with the back of his hand. “Who is Firewind?”

Aracon’s face turned to her, his violet eyes now the deepest of purples in his grief. ~Firewind is… was… a First Unicorn.~

 


	16. Chapter 16

The rain refused to let up, filling the forest with a cool mist kicked up by the drenching downpour. The day broke drowned in the storm, thunder pealing overhead and rolling across the sky, angry steel gray clouds befitting the gray and angry world. Unfortunately, the urgency of getting Ryan and Ian to the Palace was such that it forced the group to move on. At first, things went smoothly, with little conversation amongst them, enabling the coverage of quite a bit of ground. But soon, fatigue forced them to rest. As Baggi took up a head count, her body tensed, worried.

“Where is Tempest?” she questioned.

“I thought he was right behind me,” Goldmane replied.

Aracon stood motionless for several minutes, sending frantically to no avail. ~He does not answer…~

As the rest of the group’s concern grew, Ryan sat silently, unusually quiet. As Ian expressed concern despite his distrust of Tempest, he caught sight of the haunted look on her face.

“Ryan, are you all right?” Ian asked her.

“Y…yes..” she answered. “He… he’s alive… he’s not far away.”

“Who?” Ian responded.

“Tempest. He’s a bit behind us, but he won’t come,” Ryan said.

Aracon stepped toward her. ~How do you know this?~

She raised her head then, a perplexed look on her face. “I’m not sure. I can almost hear him somehow. I just _know_. He’s really sad, and doesn’t want to go on.”

Aracon huffed then, dipping his head as if Ryan’s words had confirmed something. ~I see. I will take care of this. Take cover here, and I shall return with him.~ After pausing to create a shelter of the branches overhead, he trotted down the path in the direction from which they’d come, leaving the bewildered group to wait for him.

_Aracon, you fool. Now look what you've done,_ he chastised himself as he picked up a canter, feeling out Tempest's presence and having difficulty seeing in the driving rain as it picked up intensity. _The poor child is likely bound to him for life unless the Healers can cleanse this Lifebond..._

Before long Aracon found Tempest curled in a muddy thicket beneath a large stand of trees. His half-Human son’s face had become more drawn, his color more pale.

~Ryan was able to feel you when you would not answer me. This confirms it. There is a true Bond,~ Aracon sent. ~You are suffering from the Bonding sickness that happens when magic is used to block it. The shield I’ve imposed has not stopped your souls from communicating, either.~

**Then let me go to her,** Tempest begged, his send feeble, pitiful, **and if you will not, let me die here, for without the half of me she holds, I cannot live.**

~I cannot let it be yet… she will lose all cause to help us if I allow the Lifebond to seal. Your power over her will overwhelm her, and her heart and mind will not be clear.~

Tempest made no attempt to rise. **Then let me sleep here. I’ve no cause to go on.**

Aracon tossed his head. ~I will strengthen the magic as best I can, and shield you until we reach the Palace. There, I can give you over to the hands of one of our Healers, who will help you carry on until all is resolved. I only hope Ryan’s trust in you has not been completely broken, else we’ll have much more to deal with.~

Tempest rose to a seated position then, his clothing caked with mud, his knee-length hair matted, eyes a dull bluish-gray rather than their usual azure.

~She loves the other Human,~ he confirmed despairingly. ~Even if this Lifebond were to be fulfilled, it would be for obligation only. I can feel it in the half of her soul that is mine.~

Aracon lowered his head then. ~To force the fulfillment of a Bond is to violate the unwilling half of it. The Healers take it into their hands then.~

~So no matter what, I shall lose her,~ Tempest confirmed. ~Her soul gives me a peace I have never known...~

~Once you are cleansed of the Bond, you will be able to Bond again. Your soul will find the one that it is meant to be with. You also feel this way as you are in need of a healing... one that shall take quite some time. Once we bring you to the Palace, you will be set to rights... as much as you can be. You will Awaken and my blessing will cleanse your blood of the Human. Once you are well and fully Unicorn, your being will be at peace.~

The rain let up a bit then; Tempest reached up, pulling a vine hanging from a tree overhead, snapping it and absently using it to tie his soaked hair back. Aracon took this is as a positive sign that he was getting through to his son.

~Why did you gift me, then, if you knew of these trials?~ Tempest then questioned him as he slowly stood up, his body stiffened by the rain and aching from the first major use of his limbs since his freedom from imprisonment.

Aracon bowed his head. ~I did not know then. You were the first. I thought I would only give you protection, but when you were born, I came to find out my gifts had extended to more than that. I wanted to bring you to the Palace then with your mother, but the Elders refused, not allowing any being of impure blood to enter the Palace as the breach Silver Light had wrought was already weakening the world's defenses. I did not see how one Human woman and a half-Human babe could cause any more damage than one of their own, but what do I know.~ Aracon let slip a bit of bitterness then; more than a century later, the rebuttal still angered him, especially seeing his son's state now.

The pair had begun to walk back toward the group then; Tempest was silent for several paces before he addressed Aracon again.

~I will need more of your protections,~ he noted. ~The closer we get to her, the more I feel her again, and the more my soul despairs.~

Aracon paused then, leading Tempest to follow suit. Turning his head to his son, he pressed the tip of his horn to Tempest's chest. The Immortal sighed then as Aracon's protections took hold, shielding his soul from the unrequited pull to Ryan's. Resting a hand on Aracon's back to steady himself, he drew in a few deep breaths.

~I believe I can continue on now,~ he replied.

With that, Aracon brought Tempest back to the group and they resumed their travels, moving at a quicker pace in an attempt to make up lost ground. About midday, they emerged from the forest to find themselves at the foot of a huge, tree-covered mountain, its peak hidden in the gray clouds. Ian looked up, remembering something from their first day there.

“A mountain with the peak so high it will be veiled in clouds,” he murmured to Ryan; in turn, her eyes went wide and she squeezed his hand.

~It will not be long now. Atop that mountain is the Palace,~ Aracon confirmed.

“Finally,” Ryan breathed, a wave of relief washing over her. She was about to speak again until she looked up and saw Tempest holding his head, cringing. “Aracon, something’s wrong with Tempest,” she called.

The Unicorn went to his son, gently touching Tempest’s head with his horn, the result seeming to cause Tempest to relax. ~He hears the Song of his people for the first time,~ Aracon informed them.

“I didn’t hear anything,” Ian said, confused.

~You cannot. The Song is the combined voices of all the souls of the Unicorn of the Palace. Only those who hold the soul of the Unicorn can hear it. Usually, the Song is joyous, but right now it is filled with mourning for Firewind. The sooner we can get there, the sooner we can hopefully bring an end to the madness that threatens us.~

As the group continued on, beginning its ascent up the mountain, Ryan began to feel a pull upon her being which became stronger each time Tempest was overwhelmed by the Song. Finally, after yet another pause to calm him, Ryan went up to where Aracon walked at the head of the line.

~You are troubled,~ he noted with concern.

“Yes. What did he do to me? I feel like… I can’t exactly explain it. Like I _know_ what he’s feeling, thinking. He feels like someone I’ve known forever, and even as I mistrust him, I can’t stop caring about him,” Ryan said.

The Unicorn paused before responding, hoping to make the answer as easy to take as possible.

~I am afraid... I am the cause of this,~ Aracon began. ~When I first located Tempest's spirit, I beseeched the part of my soul that rests within him to seek the courage to find a way to break free. Somehow, however, due to his spirit being broken and in need of healing... the magic grasped onto the Human half of his soul instead. This, in turn, made the Lifebond to a Human possible... and because you and Ian are the Chosen of the Goddess, his soul turned to you, the Unicorn part of his being following her Call and Promise of protection. Humans do not Bond, even here. So it is with deep regret and sorrow that I admit to my part in this anguish that plagues you.~ The Unicorn bowed his head then as they walked, ears dropping forward sadly. He steeled himself for Ryan's response, but instead felt her hand on his muscled shoulder.

Ryan felt like she should be horrified, enraged... something. Instead, the mythical creature's deep and obvious remorse affected her more. “You had no way to know... I... can't blame you for this. All you did was try to give him the strength to help himself... to know someone was there that actually cared about him. It's just pointless for me to even be angry about it... it's not like any of this should be happening at all.” As she spoke Ryan realized she was, by now, too exhausted to be given to anger; despite having every reason to, she could not be brought to find fault with the regal being. All Aracon had hoped to do was rescue his son; he hadn't even known she existed yet, let alone meant to harm her in the process. Instead, she moved on to the more pressing issue she had with the Bond.

“So, no matter what I do, I can’t get rid of this? And he can’t either?” she questioned.

~It can be done, but only by our strongest Healers. I cannot change it. Our Healers can shield both of you until the perils here are resolved. Such a Bond is a sacred thing, and not to be taken lightly. It is not something to be washed away,~ Aracon answered.

“But I don’t love him. I love Ian.”

~This is why you will be shielded when we get to the Palace. Do not trouble yourself with it now.~ He gave a soft nod, and Ryan felt a calm fall over her, the presence clinging to her soul lessened to a soft sigh rather than a roar. ~Hopefully, all will be put to rights soon – with our world, and your soul.~

 


	17. Chapter 17

The climb up the mountain on which the Rainbow Palace was situated was uneventful, though slightly miserable due to the intermittent rain. At one point, the group was confronted with a thick fog that actually turned out to be the clouds they’d seen enveloping the mountain’s peak earlier that morning. For quite some time, they traveled shrouded in the white mist; then suddenly the “wall” before them parted, leading the entire group, save for Aracon, to gasp in awe.

The Palace rose to the sky, appearing to taper to a conical shape until a closer inspection revealed the tapered extensions splayed out equally around its base. Taller than the largest skyscraper Ian or Ryan had ever seen, as they stared at it the origin of the Rainbow Palace’s name became somewhat apparent. Since they’d risen above the clouds, the sun shone brightly on the white surface, sparking opalescent patterns that seemed to pulse faintly, ever-changing.

~It grows dimmer. The colors are nearly gone,~ Aracon noted, sadness heavy in his tone. ~Come, we must proceed.~

Ian had been lulled by the sight, finding the Palace beautiful despite Aracon’s assessment of its state. Shortly, the awed haze in his mind cleared and he suddenly realized that, to have cleared the clouds, they had to have walked to an impossibly high altitude in the space of a few hours. As they walked what appeared to be the last mile or so to the Palace’s doors, he came up next to Jaddi and raised the fact to the Cat.

“This mountain is enchanted. We were probably borne up by magic. If you were to ask the Unicorn, they would never reveal their secrets,” Jaddi confirmed.

Finally, they reached the doors of the Palace, which opened at their approach. As they proceeded down a long corridor, led by Aracon, Ian and Ryan both felt a wave of anxiety grip them. Ryan quickened her pace to catch up with Ian, gripping his hand tightly.

“I’m scared,” she whispered.

“I know. I’m not sure what they think we can do for them,” Ian replied.

“It’s not just that,” she continued. “I’m… something has happened to me. Aracon tried to explain it, but, somehow, I’m Bonded to Tempest.”

Ian’s head snapped to look at her then. “What? You mean, like in books when you have two people bonded by fate or by souls?”

Ryan bit her lip, her eyes closing against a rush of tears, her nod the only response. Ian felt a stabbing pain in his heart, and suddenly found himself fighting the urge to flee with her. But his better judgment told him there was no way out now but perhaps, if they cooperated and did as the Unicorn asked, they would allow he and Ryan to go home. Then she would be free of whatever Bond had taken hold of her.

After what seemed like forever, the group emerged into a huge hall, which appeared to extend to the heavens due to the ceiling. The “extensions” they’d seen from the outside apparently numbered eight, as they tapered to meet at the center, giving the ceiling the shape of an eight-pointed star. The walls, made of the same white marble-like material as the outside, pulsed with the same opalescent rainbow patterns. At the far end was placed a huge, ornate throne that seated not a Human, but a heavily-built, draft-horse sized Unicorn, which rose as they approached.

“Welcome,” the Unicorn spoke, his voice emanating from his mouth rather than within the Humans’ and Cats’ minds. “Thanks go to the Goddess for bearing you here safely.”

“It was not without difficulty that we arrived,” Aracon said, also speaking now. Ian looked to Jaddi, and before he could ask, Jaddi gestured to the Unicorn, pointed to his own mouth, and whispered the words, “Palace magic.”

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Moonraiser, King of the Unicorn.” He dipped his head in greeting to Ryan and Ian, and then his attention turned as Aracon nudged Tempest forward.

“Tempest,” Moonraiser stated, in a tone that the rest of the party almost thought was somewhat grudgingly, “Welcome home.” After a moment’s appraisal, Moonraiser stated to Aracon, “He is not well.”

“There has been an unforeseen circumstance,” Aracon responded, seeming on edge. Apparently switching to sending, the two Unicorn exchanged silent communications for several tense moments. A few moments later another being being entered the room. Ian took note that the male figure seemed a lot like Tempest, though much larger and with more pronounced, almost Elvish facial features. A black eight-pointed star, exactly like Tempest’s, rested on his forehead, above and between his eyes – emerald green eyes, offset by nearly ankle-length, chestnut-red hair...

Ian gripped Ryan's hand then, and she became concerned as his face went pale. For a few moments he couldn't speak, then he finally found his voice.

” _You!”_ he cried, startling himself as it came out louder than he meant it to; the being turned then, blinking for a moment before his face took on an expression of familiarity.

“Indeed,” the Immortal replied as he stepped forward until he was standing a few paces before Ian; Ryan could feel his hand shaking in hers. She only somewhat remembered the other figure that had come in with the woman that had pulled her in, but enough that she finally realized why Ian was so jarred.

“My apologies for the very abrupt manner to which our first meeting was host to. I am Senarin, Seer to the King. The Goddess bid me to do her will, and our hopes were answered when we were led to your souls. I was unable to bring you all the way to the Palace, as my gifts are weakened by the threat for which you have been brought here to put an end to.”

Ian nodded then, still in awe of the “vision” he'd had coming to life before him. “Drastic times call for drastic measures, I suppose,” he replied.

“Wait... so who was the woman that brought me here?” Ryan asked. “Is she in the Palace too?”

Senarin drew in a sigh that seemed almost sad. “That... was the Goddess herself. Very few have ever seen Danicala's visage. You are, and likely shall, be the only Human with such privilege. And, as it seems from what Aracon has told us... She unwittingly left you with a gift.”

“Wait... this mixup with Aracon's magic... this Bond... is because She brought me here?” Ryan questioned.

Senarin sighed again. “It would seem so. Aracon's magic alone spurring Tempest's soul to action would not have caused a Bond of this nature. It is unprecedented, and we had no knowledge that Her touch would cause such an occurrence. We shall do our best to find a way to resolve this wrong, however. Until then, you shall be shielded so your mind and heart are clear for the task at hand.”

Ryan nodded, then noticed Senarin's attention turning to Tempest, who had taken refuge from the onslaught of strange people and magic at Aracon's side.

“Tempest,” Senarin greeted, smiling warmly as he stepped forward in welcome, to which Tempest reacted by withdrawing, an expression of severe distrust masking his face.

“I am Senarin, Tempest, and I am one of your people. No one here will harm you. You are precious to us, for you will always be the first Created Immortal.”

As Tempest’s face changed to one of confusion and fear, out of the corner of his eye Ian saw Ryan stiffen, fighting the urge to go to Tempest. This was made more difficult for her when Tempest turned to her, huge blue eyes silently pleading for her to go with him as Senarin gently began to usher him away. For a moment he rooted himself in place, locking eyes with her.

**I do not know what will become of me now.** Ryan was suddenly flooded not only with Tempest's mindvoice, but with sadness as the Palace's magic emphasized the Bond they shared and allowing her to hear his words. **Or, what shall become of this Lifebond. I begged Father to spare you from all of this, but he would not listen. I…** He drew in a breath, tears welling in his eyes, his drawn face growing more pale. **I only pray to the Goddess that I see you again, even if it must be for farewell.** Tempest took a step forward then, and found himself stayed by Senarin.

“Enough now,” Senarin said, seeming apologetic. “We must go. You must be Healed.” At this, Tempest’s eyes closed, head bowing, as Senarin turned him toward a doorway.

**Be well, Ryan… and if they take our Bond from us, please, remember me, for I shall remember you…** The send faded from her mind as the two Unicorn Immortals disappeared, leaving in its stead a feeling within Ryan that something was being taken from her. A few moments later, as if a steel door had slid down between Ryan in the Throne Room and the hallway Tempest had been led away to, the presence that had been there since she’d first met him was completely gone – and Ryan felt hollow inside.

“—rest, and then you will learn of your task… Ryan?”

She raised her head, turning to face Aracon and the others of the group at Moonracer’s voice.

“They… he’s… they took him from me.” She felt empty, alone, and overwhelmed with confusion as to why she would feel that way for him at all.

“The Healers are in charge of Tempest,” Moonraiser asserted, at which Aracon whirled to face his King.

“I told you of their Lifebond! You just let them break her from Tempest completely, without parting them gently, by degrees? You’ve taken half of her soul away, and now you expect her to…” He stopped himself then, tail lashing, head tossing, calming himself.

“Come,” Aracon said, his voice low. “I will show you to where you shall stay.” With that, he walked to Ryan, allowing her to rest upon him for comfort as he led them to their chambers, abruptly leaving the King of the Unicorn’s audience without further acknowledgment.

“Aracon…” Ian came up to him, resting a hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “What’s going on?”

“The Great Unicorn has never agreed with my blessing of Tempest. The other Unicorn Immortals that came hence were first shaped, their bodies molded by magic, changed from a Unicorn like me to beings modeled after Tempest. Senarin, who was born with shape-changing gifts, was a Unicorn the same as I. He learned to shape himself into the form you see now, and he can now change from his First Self to his Made Self. The difference between all of them and Tempest is that their blood is as pure as mine. Tempest is a half-breed to them, imperfect, the beginning of what our Healers perfected.

“Now, the Immortals breed on their own, and their line is pure. So my son is deemed best forgotten. Moonraiser’s distraction caused me to lose sight of Tempest long enough for them to take him, and there’s no telling what will happen now. But they also gave no heed to Ryan. She and Tempest share… shared… a Lifebond of the soul. Right now, they are parted, and will be until they meet again, unless he is cleansed of the Bond. I only hope they don’t destroy his soul.”

“His soul?” Baggi questioned.

“They may try to cleanse the Human half of his being away, forever changing him,” Aracon stopped himself then. “Enough now. I will heal Ryan, give her some peace so her soul can mend. After you’ve rested, we’ll discuss what must be done.”

 

 

 

Aracon had treated Ryan with some sort of magic that had closed the wound in her soul. She slept now, with Ian lying next to her on the huge, overstuffed bed, arms around her protectively. The Cats had taken up residence on several large pillows they’d grouped together on the floor.

As the twilight darkened the room and he was certain Ryan was asleep Ian rose, walking over to the huge French-style doors that led to an ornate balcony. High thunderclouds had brought rain once again, making going outside not an option, so he watched the drops dance over the intricately-tiled surface of the balcony floor, deep in thought.

“Too much to ponder all at once, isn’t it,” Jaddi said, moving to stand next to Ian.

“Yes. This is all so complicated. I have no idea how Ryan has been affected by this ‘Lifebond’. We’re still considered the only ones who can save this world, but for the life of me, I don’t understand how or why. Will we have to fight in a war? Do we have powers we don’t know about? I just don’t understand any of this.”

“I’m the wrong one to ask, unfortunately,” Jaddi asserted. “You’ll have to wait to speak to the Unicorn.”

“That’s another thing. If they’re willing to completely wipe out Tempest’s soul to rid him of his Human side, how do Ryan and I know that they just aren’t sending she and I to do their dirty work? If they hate Humans that much, why are we here?”

“I don’t think they ‘hate’ anyone,” Jaddi clarified. “The Unicorn Immortals have very different views on things. When they were shaped, their minds had to adapt as well. Over time, they were infused with the Unicorn’s perceptions of what Human royalty appeared to be like. But somewhere along the way, the Immortals let their beauty and purity of blood overtake all. And now, it’s quite important to them, to the point where a halfling like Tempest is an abomination.”

“Do you think they’ll try to change him?”

Ian turned toward Ryan as she walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him and settling into his embrace, seeking comfort.

“Of that, I can’t be certain,” Jaddi answered her. “Right now, he’s the only one like that, a halfling. I guess it will be a wait to see.”

“But if he becomes like them, selfish and full of himself, as you say the others are, everything… everything he is will be gone. All he wanted was to understand who and what he was, and why his people abandoned him,” Ryan said. “He didn’t care that he was beautiful. He just wanted to learn – about himself, what he was capable of. I think that’s why the Bond drove him to do the things he did.”

Ian turned to her then. “He told you all this?”

“He didn’t have to. When the Lifebond was completely free of blocks, when we came here, I felt what he felt, knew what he knew. Like we were sharing the same mind, same soul. He never meant to hurt me…” She trailed off then, sitting down hard on the bed. “If they change him, they can forget about me helping them. If they hurt him…” Her tone was angry, definitive. “I may not feel the same way for him as I do for Ian, but I still don't want him to suffer any more.”

“One should not swear oaths they may not be able to keep,” Baggi warned her.

“Oh, I’ll keep this one, believe me. They dragged us here. It’s the least they can do,” she replied.

 


	18. Chapter 18

~Ryan…~

Ryan awoke with a small gasp, at first not sure if she’d heard the voice or not. Rising, she looked about the darkened room. The Cats were again heaped on the floor in the corner, and Ian lay sleeping deeply a bit away from her on the huge bed, having turned onto his back in his sleep. No one else was in the room.

~I pray to the Goddess that you can hear me.~

Ryan had never sent before, but somehow, instinctively, she knew how. And something deep within her told her how to respond. ~Tempest?~ she questioned tentatively.

A flood of emotion – happiness, affection, and relief – filled her in response.

~Ryan… it is I…~

She drew in a deep breath, her emotions once again conflicting with the inescapable Bond. ~Tempest! Where are you?~

~In my chambers. I believe they’re below yours.~

~Tell me where to go…~ In response he began filling her mind with pictures of the inside of the Palace. With a bit of nudging, he instructed her how to show him what she’d seen around her, and he combined her mental images with his to in turn show her the way.

Against her better judgment Ryan rose, slipping out the door of the room and quietly closing it behind her, following the mental trail. Coming to a winding staircase that seemed to spiral down the center of the Palace, she walked down two floors, then down the corridor… and stopped before a door, which opened almost immediately. Ryan looked up… and reeled, not only from the Bond, but the being bathed in the light of the glowing crystal balls lining the corridor.

Tempest was no longer drawn, pale, sad as he’d been when she’d found him in Jariel's manor home, nor as he’d been on the way to the Palace. He stood before her now, his color a healthy one, knee-length hair gleaming a rich gold. His eyes were the deepest of blues, and caught the light like glittering sapphires. Ryan stared for a few moments, taken aback… then the vision before her blurred as tears rushed to her eyes, overcome with emotion due to the Bond.

~What did they do to you? They changed you…~ The sending came naturally now, as if it had always been. He took her hand, leading her inside and closing the door. She sat on what appeared to be a large ottoman as Tempest sat in a matching overstuffed chair.

~I’ve been healed. There was a lot of work to be done, but the Healers accomplished it,~ he said.

~But Aracon said they might change you! Take the Human out of you, change your soul…~

~They did not have to take the Human from me. It has gone on its own. The magic of the Palace and the healing has brought me to my Awakening… and what I should have been many turns ago, I now am. At least in some ways.~

~But… you've still been changed…~

He smiled gently then. ~The essence of who you are… or in my case, who I was supposed to be… can never be changed. I know that. It was part of my Awakening. My blood may be pure now, but my soul is the same. Look within… and you’ll see.~

~Look within?~

~Yes. You were within my soul once… be within in it again now.~

~Is that what… this presence is that binds us? Our souls?~

~Yes. They are everything we are, and are never to be shared with anyone else. We are two who have become one. They thought they cleansed the Lifebond, but it is true, no matter what. All I needed to do was reach out to you.~

~Aracon’s not going to be happy… he keeps saying that my mind needs to be clear to do whatever it is we’re supposed to do,~ she said.

~You will be stronger for our Bond. When the time comes, he will see that as well. Tearing us apart was the mistake,~ Tempest replied.

Ryan sat forward then, determination crossing her expression. “The thing is... This Bond, whatever it is, cannot be confused with love. I love Ian... I realize that now. I don't know what that means for this link we have but... Whatever I said to you before about him, whatever uncertainty... that wasn't me talking.”

Tempest's head bowed then and he heaved a heavy sigh of his own. “When I was imprisoned in Jariel's home, as my gifts first appeared I used them freely on the servants of the house. I learned of myself and my body through dalliances with the women there. I had no knowledge that what I was doing was wrong. I did pull you in to helping me escape... but... the pull was half my gifts, and half our Bond. Nonetheless... I am sorry, Ryan... I did not seek to harm you.”

She nodded solemnly then. “I'll accept that, as Aracon also said that about why you did what you did. And... somehow... I guess it's the Bond but... I know you're telling the truth.”

Tempest nodded then. “I do not know exactly what this Bond means yet. It is probably best that we wait until whatever tasks you must take on are completed. I only hope we can resolve all things so that we can both be at peace.”

Ryan's eyes averted to the window, where she gazed out, a sadness coming over her. “I'm not even sure I know what peace is anymore,” she replied.

 

 

 

“Ryan’s gone!”

The Cats shot up at Ian’s alarmed yelp, immediately sniffing the room for any signs that someone had come during the night. Not sensing anything, coupled with no physical signs of a struggle or even of the door being forced, they paused warily, with Jaddi growling low in his chest.

“I don’t think we should panic just yet. She can’t have gotten far, and I don’t think she’d have tried to go alone. Where would she go?” Baggi asserted, trying to bring some sense to her lifemate and son before the claws came out.

“She’s right. Ryan’s still got to be in the Palace,” Ian said, calming a bit with that realization. “If we just find Aracon, he’ll be able to find her…”

Ian’s voice cut off as the door to the room opened and Ryan stepped in, still in the nightgown she’d been given. But something about her was different. She looked healthy again – Ian hadn’t even noticed how sickly she’d become until he saw the difference now. And there was a peace about her that hadn’t been there since before they’d come to this place… maybe not even before that.

“Where the hell were you?” Ian shot at her, his concern tumbling out of his mouth as anger, one of the traits Ryan had noticed was a constant of his personality.

“I was with Tempest,” she replied, sitting down on the bed with a heavy sigh. She absently noted that her journey to Tempest's room, and Ian's reaction upon her return, were nearly identical to the day she'd met Tempest.

Ian felt concern rising within him again. “Tempest?”

“Yes. He called to me… they tried to take the Bond, but it didn’t work. Nothing can take it. I know that now.”

“Wait so... what...” Ian tried to hold back his apprehension.

Ryan shook her head. “The Bond is there, but he's in control of himself now. He's been healed and he's a lot different. I can tell the difference now.”

“So... why did you go there?” Ian asked. Ryan sensed he was upset, and she couldn't blame him. She walked over to the bed and sat down, cuddling to him; he wrapped his arms around her in response.

“He reached out to me... I think he wanted to see if the Lifebond was gone or if it had grown back. I tried not to answer, but... I had to. He's not misusing his magic anymore because of the healing. But the bottom line is this Bond is something they consider sacred... and we'll have to address it at some point.”

Ian sighed then, hugging her tightly to him and trying not to think about what “addressing” the Bond would entail. He wanted for all the world to just take this all away from her, to bring her back to who she was before they came to this place...

“I did ask him about this whole prophecy or whatever it is we're a part of,” she said. “We've gotten the basic story but he told me everything in detail.” At this, the Cats sat up, focusing on her.

“We've always heard tales about what exactly happened to cause our world to suffer,” Baggi said. “What did he tell you?”

“Tempest says that the Unicorn believe everything moves in circles,” Ryan began. “A Unicorn named Silver Light wanted to explore the worlds beyond this one. He was told not to do it by the Unicorn Elders, some council of ancient Unicorn that apparently don't really hold much weight anymore because they've had to stay hidden since the world became vulnerable. Silver Light found a way to walk between planes and times… but when he did it, he opened Mythologica to evil. Humans started invading where they never had been able to before, and once they discovered all the magical creatures here they started trying to hunt them for various reasons. They believe the Elves are evil demons, they want the Unicorn for their horns or to sell to traveling circuses, the Cats to use in games of sport or to sell for their hides.

“There was a horrible War here not too long ago where the Humans decided to attack the Elves specifically. The tribe that lives in the mountains, the Dragonriders, were attacked the hardest because the Humans believed demons riding dragons was basically their worst nightmare... even though the Humans came from outside Mythologica's borders and had no right to cross, let alone take issue with the Elves. Some of the Humans, like Jariel, used it as a valid reason to capture anything magical and do whatever they wanted with them.” The Cats, in unison, growled, hackles raising, at that, to which Ryan nodded sympathetically. Somehow, Ian noted, she now seemed wise beyond her years. “The war lasted a thousand days… Tempest saw some of it in the form of some Cats and Elves who were kept prisoner at Jariel’s home.”

Jaddi stood up at that. “Lothian spoke of a being he believed to be a Unicorn in captivity, that set he and some of our kind free from a place where they’d been imprisoned. It must have been Tempest!”

Ryan nodded and continued. “So… because time and all things move in circles, to right the wrong Silver Light made by going into another time and place, the Goddess – Tempest said her name is Danicala, and she's the woman that brought me in when Senarin brought in Ian – had to bring the circle to its end by choosing two believing souls from the world where Silver Light had gone. He may be the reason we have the legend of the Unicorn in our world; it's entirely possible that some people in medieval times in our world actually saw him, because he came to our world even though it was many centuries before we lived. For whatever reason, when Danicala and Senarin reached out, they were led to us and here we are, the ones to bring the circle to a close, and begin a new one – one of healing.”

The room was silent for a bit then as everyone pondered what Ryan had told them until Ian broke the quiet.

“So what do we have to do now?” he asked softly, almost fearing the answer.

She looked up at him, then took his hand gently, meeting his eyes.

“We go to where the Chimera is, get the Horn back, and heal the Idol. They’ll be sending a few Unicorn Immortal warriors for support. But our destiny is to do this. One of us must replace the Horn – only then will the circle be closed.”

“And then, we can go home?” Ian asked hopefully.

Ryan closed her eyes then. “It’s not that easy for me anymore. I... still don't know what this Bond means, or if anything more needs to be done about it.”

Ian sighed deeply. “All right. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. But I guess I have to get in the frame of mind to save the world.”

She raised her face to his again, a certainty in it. “Yes. That’s exactly why we’re here. We just need to all work together.”

“Don’t worry. You think I would have come all this way to not back you up now? I got ya covered,” Ian smirked, setting her to smiling in return.

“All right,” she nodded. “Let’s get going then…it’s nearly midday, and the plan must be laid tonight. There’s a lot of work to do.”

 


	19. Chapter 19

“How has this happened? It cannot be. When he Awakened after the healing, there was no Human left within him. There’s no reason that his soul would return to the Lifeond.”

Moonraiser was distressed at Senarin’s news. If anything put the plan in jeopardy, it was this.

“He’ll never allow Ryan to face the Chimera. The Bond will wreck all,” the King continued. “The Lifebond must be cleansed. Blocking won’t stop it, we know that. We have to find a way to purge it, else things will fall to dust.”

Senarin was quiet then, unusually so. As the Great Unicorn’s chief advisor, he always had a theory on something. As the Unicorn Immortal race’s most gifted member, with the ability to shapechange to his credit and now his ability to communicate with the Goddess known, he had a different perspective on things that Moonraiser would not necessarily understand.

“The soul is the one thing that is unchanging,” Senarin noted. “Even I cannot change who I am when I Shift. Things that touch you, things that make you who you are… once they are there, they will always be so. The Bond was cleansed once. It returned the moment they reached out to each other. If it is meant to be, then it must be so. Perhaps, in the end, we will find the reason for it. Or perhaps not. Not every Lifebond is justified. You yourself know that.”

“And you favor this? A Unicorn bonded to a Human?”

“He was half-Human when it happened. Even though the blood is pure now, what is within him cannot -- _should not_ be changed. That is far too much trauma to inflict upon anyone. To attempt it again could do more harm than good, and turn Ryan against us. Apparently she’d sworn an oath that she would not help us if we’d harmed Tempest in any way. The Human has fire within her, as well as possession via Bond of half a Unicorn soul. She’ll resist us if we cross her now. You must think on things before you act. Keep things as they are, do not attempt to meddle further.”

Moonraiser met Senarin’s gaze then. “You accuse…”

“I do not accuse. I state. I know what you tried to have done. Resisting what Aracon began serves no purpose. If we are meant to mingle with the Humans, then so be it. Our Goddess brought them here. She makes all paths go as they do. I will not question anything that happens – especially when it involves the saving of our race. You would do well to do the same.”

 

 

 

Ian, Ryan and the Cats were seated in an ornate room that appeared to be as much like a conference room as any in the Humans’ home world. The beauty of the carved wooden table, the gentle pulsing of the colors in the walls, still weakening, was lost on Ian and Ryan as they waited for those that would counsel them on their mission.

Shortly, Aracon, Senarin and, to the surprise of all, an Elf entered the room. He was apparently a scout of some kind, dressed in huntsman’s clothes and carrying a sword, accompanied by a quiver of arrows and a longbow slung over his back. Thick black hair draped in gentle waves over his shoulders, spilling to mid-chest and partially obscuring a pair of luminous blue eyes set into olive-toned skin. Ryan found herself fascinated with the being, but was put off when the Elf returned her wistful gaze with one of scathing contempt.

“What are _they_ doing here?” the Elf growled in a thickly-accented voice, obviously having difficulty with the Unicorn tongue, which was more or less like that of the Humans.

“They are the ones the Goddess found for us,” Senarin countered, at which the Elf blanched visibly.

“Are the lot of you _mad_? Do you not remember what their kind did to Elvenkind? What they _still_ do when they make it past the shields that have yet to return to strength? They’re more likely to bring the Chimera down on all of us first!” The Elf appeared to be seething.

“Darkstone, you must remember that they are not from our world, our time. Their views are different. They’ve been brought here to help us,” Aracon noted.

The Elf considered that for a moment, but still appeared incredulous. Finally, he waved a dismissive four-fingered hand. “No matter. You wanted to know where it is. It is Sun-goes-down from here, living in an abandoned Human-holt. Goes out to kill prey in the day, sleeps at night, for the most part. Took down a land-dragon the other day. I saw it with my own eyes. The tail is poisonous – if the snake bites you, you’re done with. The bite took down the dragon in less than four breaths. The head in the middle appears to be dumb, though its horns are useful for tearing out the belly of an animal that’s leapt above it. The big head seems to control things. It distracts, and the tail does the killing.”

“So if we have enough warriors to cover all of this, we should be able to distract it long enough to get Ryan and Ian in to find the Horn,” Senarin affirmed.

"Not for long, but you probably can. If it knows you're after its prize, it will defend to the death. It has no distinction in that which it kills. It's not stupid. It can't be held captivated like a cubling by a meddling warrior stalling for time," Darkstone replied.

“So we must face the possibility of injury to more of our kind… or to Ian and Ryan," Senarin noted resignedly. He'd hoped that, if the Humans must retrieve the Horn, it could be as safely as possible.

The Elf shot the Humans another contemptuous look. “Some losses are easier to bear,” Darkstone spat venomously.

“Enough of that, Darkstone. What you’ve told us will help. I think we can probably work from this and find the way to outwit it, at the very least, and distract it enough to kill it,” Senarin noted.

Ian had been listening to this, and finally rose. “Now hold on a minute. You haven’t _seen_ this thing, Senarin. It’s bigger than Moonraiser, bigger than the dragon we ran into on our first day here. And you’re saying that either Ryan or I have to go in and kill this thing?”

Aracon stepped in quickly then. “Your responsibility is to heal the Idol…”

“They must retrieve the Horn. It is part of the prophecy,” Senarin related, his tone more than a bit apprehensive now. “No matter how we try to change that, the Fates will lead it to that end.”

“Well then… in that case, Ryan stays here. I’ll go.” Ian was definite, his tone intense, enough that even the skeptical Elf took notice.

“No. We’re in this together, remember?” Ryan said, grabbing at his arm. He looked down at her.

“You… have a reason to stay alive now. If what we’ve learned is true, if you die, Tempest will die too. And what would be the point of that, after all he went through, all we went through, to bring him here?”

“That’s bullshit and you know it,” Ryan shot at him, angry now. “I told you we needed to be in this together, to work together. Somewhere within all this, there’s a reason we both need to be there to see this through. And I’ll be damned if you go alone while I sit here and play the waiting game. Besides, I don’t expect to die.”

Jaddi gave an amused huff at that. “To tell you the truth, I don’t see that happening either, Ryan,” he agreed.

 

 

 

The meeting ended as night fell, with plans to leave the next morning and arrangements for the accompanying warriors in place. Ian and Ryan returned to the room after their evening meal, the Cats electing to stretch out in the moonlight that bathed the gardens of the Palace, also resting before the ominous times to come.

Ian held Ryan's hand as they entered their room, as he had been whenever the opportunity arose; it was the first time they had been truly alone somewhere they knew was safe since before they had been brought to Mythologica. Ian felt a tug on his hand now as he had continued a few steps further than Ryan, who had paused to slide the heavy bolt on the equally heavy door closed.

“Are you expecting an interruption?” Ian said, his tone a bit playful; in response, Ryan squeezed his hand more tightly, once again tugging on it to pull him to her. He wrapped his arms around her and she responded in kind, looking up at him from within the mutual embrace.

“I... I've been thinking... and... let's be serious here. We... we might not make it out of this. I don't want to think about that... especially if only one of us does. And... that's made me think about how much I've put things that were important to me by the wayside. I just... I want this time right now, here with you... to make up for that...”

Ian suddenly realized what Ryan was driving at, drawing in a deep breath. “Look... I... I don't want you doing something you might not be ready for...”

“I've been ready, for a long time... I just didn't want to admit it. Because then I would have had to admit that I had you to lose...”

“When... when did you know?”

“That I loved you, for sure? After Tempest tried to... seduce me. He had asked me, when we were talking before the Chimera came, if I loved you. At that moment, I was definite... I was about to tell him yes... or I tried to, but either he or the Bond wouldn't let me. And somehow... probably from the Bond, I think he felt it. So then he tried to get to me first later on... but that... I've known before now that I was saving this for you.”

Ian felt the flush color his cheeks then. “And... when did you realize that?”

“Remember the day I came over to your place, and we were upstairs in your room... I think it was during spring break. We got into the tickle fight?”

Ian smiled then. “Oh yeah... I don't know what came over me that day... I guess I loved your laugh...”

“Yeah well... by the time we both finished getting each other back... I... wanted more... but it was a really scary thing to realize...”

“So _that's_ why you were weird after that, and ended up going home,” he replied. “We didn't talk again till we got back to school.”

She nodded then. “I knew then that the summer was going to be my last chance... once we found out you couldn't go to Harvard, I made up my mind that it was going to happen before we left for college. In fact... when I was teasing you just before we started playing chess... I was... kind of being serious. But... now, who the hell knows what is going to happen after all of this...so... if I have to die tomorrow, or we both do... I am not going to go without giving myself to the only person I've ever wanted to have me...”

He swallowed back the emotion then. It would have meant everything to him had it been back home, in their normal lives. But now, as she fought an irrevocable Bond to someone, on top of the fear of what was to come.... the gravity of the gift he was about to receive was almost more than he could bear.

“Then... let's seal a bond of our own,” he replied. Reaching down, he scooped her up into his arms, carrying her to the bed and laying her down tenderly. He then climbed in as she reached out to him, his body settling on top of hers as her hands tangled into his hair, pulling his head down for a passionate kiss. It took little time at all for them to become lost in each other, forgetting for a while the enormous task before them, even forgetting that the world they were in was not their own.

Ian had dreamed of this moment more times than he could count, but never knew for sure if Ryan had felt the same. As they stripped down to bare skin, he let his hands roam over her body, enjoying her reactions of soft moans and murmurs of his name. He leaned in to kiss over her skin, evoking more soft moans from her, her body beginning to squirm as she buried her hands in his hair again. He was paying particular attention to her breasts after she reacted favorably, lips brushing softly over them in between placing kisses on her skin when he felt her hands tug his hair, bringing him up for another passionate kiss that only broke when he had to draw back for air.

“Ian... I can't wait anymore...” Her voice was soft, but her voice was emphatic. He moved up over her, on all fours for a few moments, affording her a look at what she was about to receive.

“Well... if I'd known that I wouldn't have waited so long,” she teased, in the way she had always managed to get to him, causing him to blush fiercely. In response, his hands moved down to tickle her sides, remembering from that day where he knew now everything had changed. She squealed, the feel mixing with her body's desires; he had only continued a few moments longer before she reached up, gripping another handful of hair, giving him pause.

“I need you,” she said in a voice she barely recognized; he found himself on the edge as well, her reactions to his teasing making his own desires boil over. He pressed his body to hers as she wrapped her legs around his hips; slipping a hand between their bodies, he slowly guided himself into her.

Ryan had been prepared for the first several moments to be difficult, but found it was less so than she had anticipated. Ian moved slowly at first, propped on his elbows resting on either side of her, taking cues from her reactions despite nearly going mad with desire. Before long she began begging for more, her words mixed in a soft, whimpery tone that spurred him on; that same voice became louder as he moved more quickly, yet trying not to go too fast.

Ryan felt the beginning pain dissolve into pleasure almost abruptly; before long she couldn't hold back pleading with him for more, the need for release growing stronger. The sound of his breaths and moans made her body feel even more on fire; her nails raking softly over his back making him shudder and groan in pleasure.

Ian tried to hold on as long as he could, but as he felt his body gathering for climax he gave in to the urge to move faster; the squeal it tore from her was almost too much for him to take. His hand slipped between their bodies to pleasure her more and she half-screamed, half-squealed; her breathing quickening and body arching under him as she climaxed, the palm of one hand slapping hard onto his back, the other digging nails into his shoulder. He fought to stay still to take in the feel, long, drawn-out moans pulled from him; he began to move again, Ryan shuddering beneath him until he reached his own release, body stiffening, then collapsing as he gasped for air.

They were both silent for a bit, remaining tangled together as Ian turned on his side, pulling her to him protectively. The emotions and weight of the moment crashing down on them and both broke down into sobs, arms wrapped so tightly around each other both thought the other would end up crushed. Once the tears abated, they spent quite some time kissing, caressing and cuddling each other until both found themselves fighting sleep. With one last kiss, they both drifted off, holding each other for dear life and both silently praying this wouldn't be the first and last time they would share each other's bodies and hearts.

 


	20. Chapter 20

“Ian... Ryan... it's time.”

Ian's eyes flickered awake, and for a few moments forgot where he was and what had happened the night before. His mind then registered Ryan's bare skin pressed to his. Her eyes flickered awake and as she raised her face to his, their eyes met...

Both had the same, gut-wrenching thought at the same time. _We might not make it back from this._

Another knock at the door and Jaddi called again. “Are you two all right?”

“Yes,” Ian called back. “Just give us a minute...” He then turned back to Ryan, swallowing hard; he saw the tears welling up in her eyes and he trapped her mouth in a hard kiss, crushing her to him once more. Finally, he drew back and they locked eyes one last time as he cradled her face in both hands.

“I love you,” Ian said. “And no matter what happens, I always will.”

Ryan bit her lip then, trying not to tear up again. “I love you too... we're going to make it out of this. We both have something to live for... each other.”

He nodded then as he reluctantly untangled from her embrace to seek out his clothes. “I'll be fighting for that a hell of a lot more than for this Horn.”

Ryan began to dress as well, sighing hard. “You're damn right we will,” she agreed.

Once the pair were finally dressed, they made their way out to the corridor where Jaddi, Baggi and Goldmane waited patiently. As they stood before the Cats, the three powerful beings all more than head and shoulders taller than the Humans knelt down, opening their arms in unison to draw their two friends into an emotional group embrace.

“This... it's not right,” Goldmane said, his voice thick with sadness. “The Unicorn should be fighting their own battles.” He turned to Ryan, nuzzling her cheek softly, a few of her tears dampening his velvety pink nose.

“Magic has its give and take,” Jaddi said, his voice equally sad. “Unfortunately, it would appear the taking is from innocents. All we can do is protect you both as best we can.”

“I would say I'd pray to the Goddess for your safety,” Baggi said, her voice laced with a bit of contempt, “but right now I'm feeling at odds with Her.”

Ryan couldn't help but laugh softly at that. “I've seen Her, and I can tell you that you'd kick her ass in a fight,” she informed Baggi, which seemed to please the Cat.

“Then if I ever get the chance, maybe I will someday, in your honor,” she growled.

The group disentangled then and made their way down to the main foyer of the Palace. Senarin, Aracon and six members of the Golden Horn Guard awaited; just inside the archway leading into the Palace, Tempest watched as the Cats and Humans met their companions. One of them, a Unicorn Immortal Ian and Ryan had not yet met, was dressed in chainmail and breastplates, his glossy blue-black hair tied back into a waist-length braid. Ryan found it interesting that in both skintone and facial structure, he looked very much like a Native American from their own world.

“Well met, brave ones. I am Taravair, Captain of the Golden Horn Guard,” the Immortal began. "Upon your arrival here I made certain that when the time came you would have protections." Two more members of the Guard came forward then, both carrying similar armor and chainmail to their own, but in Human size; a third Immortal warrior, whom Ian noted was a dark-skinned female, came forward with two swords in ornate scabbards, also in a size fitting for both of them.

"I... I have no idea how to use this," Ryan said, suddenly feeling frightened again. Over in the archway, Tempest drew in a breath, closing his eyes as he felt her fear within his soul.

"We have ways to lock our minds and work together in battle," Keralah, the female Immortal, reassured her. "We shall guide you if need be, so long as we have your permission to do so." She offered Ryan help with donning her armor, which she accepted.

"I will need all the help I can get," she said. As she raised her arms so Keralah could slip the chainmail shirt over her head, Keralah noticed the Human's hands trembling. After arranging the shirt, she knelt down in front of Ryan, taking her hands, looking into Ryan's eyes with deep midnight blue ones of her own.

"The Goddess would not have chosen you if She did not believe you held the power to accomplish this feat," Keralah said. "We shall do all in our power to protect you. But I believe you shall find the strength within you may not yet know is there."

Ryan nodded then; behind her, she could hear Taravair giving Ian similar words of encouragement. Both Immortals helped them finish donning their armor, the finishing touch when each fastened the scabbards of the Humans' swords across their chests, the straps crossbody, each scabbard at their left hips.

As they began to follow the Guard out to the courtyard to meet their mounts, Ryan suddenly felt a presence within her, a sadness beginning to creep in. Knowing instinctively what it was, she projected her thoughts back as she kept walking, not daring to look back.

~Not now, Tempest. I have to do go. I am stressed out enough without this.~ And somehow, perhaps developing the instinct to as she continued to live with the unwanted Lifebond, she suddenly shut him out; behind her in the doorway he shuddered visibly, then fought to hold back tears as she and Ian disappeared through the entryway, the heavy doors closing behind them.

Taravair led Ian and Ryan to their mounts then, his tone apologetic as he introduced them. "Unfortunately, Humans are not allowed to ride a Unicorn. One may choose to be touched by them, but riding is an honor reserved for an Immortal and their Bondmate. And since you may need to flee quickly, we thought this would be a good option."

Ian and Ryan had stopped in their tracks. Before them stood two snow white Pegasus, massive wings folded at their sides. Both dipped their heads in greeting and the Humans spent a few moments getting acquainted. Taravair and Keralah were also taking a few moments to speak with the elf Darkstone before everyone paused for their final instructions.

"Your main mission, first and foremost, is to help Ian and Ryan retrieve the Horn," Senarin began, addressing first the Guard, but also open-voicing to all parties involved. "We of course do not want any of you to take an undue risk; if the mission appears to be failing, do not hesitate, do what you must to return." Senarin paused then, bowing his head, appearing reserved and, Ryan noted, possibly even emotional.

"I cannot explain why, but I have every faith that you both shall return," Senarin addressed Ian and Ryan. "This feeling has been with me since we discussed the plan for attack. You shall all return," he said again, his voice suddenly more emphatic as he met eyes with each Human, Cat, Unicorn and Pegasus in the courtyard. "Go now, and may the strength of the Goddess be with you." Ryan had a hard time holding back a smile as she heard Baggi's huff of distaste from behind her.

The two Pegasus leaned down onto their front knees to allow Ryan and Ian to mount; they found a cord of heavily-braided golden rope tied around each animal's body, just behind their shoulders and wings. Taravair and Keralah came over, showing them how to tuck their feet into the ropes, a loop at the top between the massive shoulders of each Pegasus there for them to hold onto should the animals take flight. The beasts then stood upright, hailing their riders with a spectacular unfurling of their wings; Ian, his emotions too close to the surface, felt a lump form in his throat as he took in the sight of the pearly-white, iridescent feathers surrounding him before both Pegasus folded their wings again, their riders shielded on either side.

Aracon took up the lead then with Darkstone, Ian and Ryan directly behind them and the six members of the Golden Horn Guard bringing up the rear. Aracon looked back, feeling the same reservation as Senarin who stood at the doors to the Palace, hands clasped in deep concern. With a final nod, Taravair called everyone to attention, and they began the journey

The abandoned Human dwelling that Darkstone had spoken of had turned out to not be very far from the Palace, a fact that had unnerved the Unicorn. Aracon, however, was not surprised at all – such a creature as the Chimera would want to be near to see what damage it had wrought, and to watch the end of the race it despised.

The procession moved through the forest in silence, the journey taking about a half-hour. Ryan and Ian exchanged glances now and again, Ryan wishing for all the world that Ian had gained the power to speak with his mind with her as she did with Tempest. Even more so, Ian wished he could reach Ryan to even just hold her hand; he watched throughout the ride as her face went from stoic, to introspective, to frightened and back again, his own emotions running the same gamut.

Presently they emerged into the clearing in which the old manor house, quite similar to Jariel's, save to finding it more or less a shell. Some of the walls were missing stones, and there was evidence around the edges of the windows of some sort of fire. Darkstone seemed reverent about the place somehow, pausing to kneel and bow his head, apparently saying some sort of prayer. As Ryan dismounted, she took a tentative step toward the Elf, who raised his eyes to the scorched wall, apparently shaken in some way.

~Are… are you all right?~ Ryan asked, having been told by Tempest that Elves could also hear a mindvice; she was able to use her Bond-borne ability with those who also shared it. Darkstone turned his gaze to her, the genuine concern within her mental voice staving off any resentment on his part.

~This was a place of evil in the War. Many of my kind died here,~ he answered. ~So we came back with fire-arrows and burned it. The Humans had to be made to pay.~ He turned back to the gutted shell, staring for a moment or two more, then appeared to shake off the memories abruptly. Rising, he shouldered his quiver of arrows and looked to Aracon.

“My part here is done. I can help you no further. Alone, I am no match for the beast,” Darkstone noted.

“Your service is much appreciated,” Aracon replied, dipping his head. “Go to your Holt now, and be with your family. If by chance we fail, it is best that you be with your loved ones.”

Darkstone nodded gravely by way of agreement, then turned toward a path at one end of the clearing. Without another word to any of the group, he made his way to the tree line and was gone.

“Sociable fellow,” Ian deadpanned. “Gonna have to have him over for dinner someday.”

“He has his reasons,” Ryan replied.

Aracon stepped forward then, sending instructions to the Horn Guard warriors, who fanned out around the base of the home; three then dismounted, leaving their Bondmates to watch outside as they went inside the dwelling to search. The Cats then scaled three of the tall trees, one of which was growing out of the top of one of the sections of the deserted home. “We have the daylight on our side, but we cannot trust the Chimera will follow his pattern faithfully. We have to find the Horn and bring it back swiftly, before it returns from the hunt.”

The pair followed him then, stepping gingerly into the dank interior of the stone dwelling. Some areas were darkened due to lack of windows; to remedy this Aracon cast a glow with his horn. They searched the entire bottom floor with no results, then traveled upstairs to find nothing more than the charred remains of sleeping quarters and, disturbingly, a few Elvish skeletons in one room; Ian then realized what Ryan had learned from Darkstone. As they came back downstairs, Aracon snorted in frustration.

“We’ve searched the entire dwelling,” he said. “Where would he keep it?”

Ian thought hard then, trying to remember the stories he’d read about medieval castles. “Do you think this place has a dungeon?” he asked.

“If not a dungeon, a storage hold at the very least,” Aracon verified. “Most Human dwellings were constructed that way, from what I’ve been told. This is the first time I’ve ever been in one.”

Ian walked back into the kitchen area then, with Ryan following close behind. Running his hand along the wall, he made note of a few long gashes that didn’t appear to be damage from the fire. Walking along the trail they made, he found a section of floor that was badly scraped by something. Casting his eyes over the walls, he squinted in the faint light from the windows and thought he saw a pattern in some of the bricks in the wall. Feeling along the cracks in the mortar, he pressed his fingers firmly into one particularly deep crack… and suddenly, the wall slid back, revealing a hidden stairwell.

“How did you know to do that?” Aracon asked, impressed.

“We might not have magic where I come from, but we’ve got lots of books. And people like us with lots of imagination. You don’t build a house like this and not have a secret passage or some way to get to the bowels of the place, where they keep the prisoners,” Ian remarked, setting Ryan to smiling. She noted, privately, that it had also been a feature in many of Ian’s fantasy-oriented writings.

The trio traveled down the stairs then, with Aracon lighting the way. At the end of the stairwell the passage opened up into a large room that Aracon had to intensify the light of his horn to see completely. And as he did so, the object of their search appeared. The light glinted off the huge gold-plated stone Horn as it rested on a table, its surface scratched from the Chimera’s teeth.

“Jackpot,” Ian hissed, walking over to retrieve the Horn, but finding it too heavy to lift alone. Ryan took up the other end, and they hefted it off of the table together. As they began to make their way up the stairs, Aracon caught a scent of fear around Ryan. “What is it?” the Unicorn asked her

“This is way too easy. I don’t like it… I just have a really bad feeling…” She shuddered visibly even as she kept her grip on the broken end of the Horn.

“We’re fine. See, we’re almost to the top now.” Ian’s voice was almost cavalier as they emerged into the kitchen. Aracon had already sent for the Horn Guard, and Taravair and Keralah now met the trio at the doorway to the kitchen, preparing to usher them out to their waiting Pegasus companions.

They hadn’t even taken one full step when the roar pierced the silence.

“Oh my God!!!” Ryan screamed. “It’s coming back!”

Outside, the Cats screamed a challenge, having seen the beast approach from their vantage point in the trees. The Horn Guard members inside the dwelling went to the windows, scouting their position in relation to the advancing beast, and found that one of the Cats was distracting it as the Pegasus stamped nervously, summoning the Humans they served. As Ian and Ryan hurried out the Cats practically leapt down from the trees -- in fact Goldmane dropped from a height of about twenty feet, landing squarely on all fours -- and ran to cover the two Humans as they made their way to their mounts. Aided in mounting the winged stallions by members of the Guard, Taravair then entrusted them with the carrying of the Horn back to the Palace. The Pegasus unfurled their wings, barely cantering before they took to flight; Ian and Ryan hooked their feet into the golden ropes, hanging on for dear life as they rose above the trees.

The Horn Guard members leapt onto their First Unicorn Bondmates, and even before they rested fully on their backs they took to flight. With Aracon in the lead, the phalanx of warriors fanned out into the forest so the Chimera couldn't catch them all. With the Immortals keeping mentally locked together so as not to lose each other their mounts ran faster than the wind, leaping over great distances to cover more ground. The Cats had once again taken to the trees, swinging and jumping from one to the next, keeping up with the Chimera and roaring to whatever Guard member it got close to, sending the Immortal and his or her mount in the opposite direction.

In the sky, about twenty feet above the highest treetops Ian and Ryan were rocketing through the late afternoon sun, Ian holding onto the Horn for dear life, crouched over the huge gold-encased piece of stone with his body pressing against it to keep it from falling. They could see the Palace rushing up to meet them; they would arrive before the rest of their companions.

~Call the Guard!~ Aracon sent ahead frantically as soon as he felt the Palace's Call come within range, the crashing of the Chimera’s pursuit deafening even the pounding of the seven Unicorns’ hooves. ~The Chimera comes to the Palace!~

 


	21. Chapter 21

The Palace was on high alert, the warriors comprising the remainder of the Golden Horn Guard standing at the ready outside its walls. The regal Unicorn Immortals astride their First Unicorn Bondmates were as still as statues, fully aware of the fact that their weakened magic could result in all of their deaths. But they hoped to at least injure the Chimera enough to eventually bring down its own death.

Inside the Palace, the Throne Room was devoid of its usual occupants, only populated by Moonraiser and Senarin. Tempest had also taken up residence on one of the high mezzanine-like ledges that ringed the walls of the Throne Room, determined to be present for Ryan's return.

~It is breaking through the tree line just below the courtyard!~ Aracon sent. ~Ian and Ryan are landing now with the Horn!~

Senarin went over to a round pool with stone sides that was sunken into the floor of the room. As he rippled the water with a hand, they were able to see the outside of the Palace. The Chimera charged forth, bellowing a challenge to the Golden Horn Guard, which in return rained arrows down on it; some piercing the hide, but most glanced off of it due to the beast’s speed. The beast was powered by pure rage and hatred – it sought to destroy the Unicorn, and there would be no stopping it now. The darting white shapes of the Cats flew by and they rocketed into the Palace through the front door which one of the Palace guards had hastily opened at Senarin's urgent mindvoiced command; they charged into the throne room, climbing up the ornate columns that led to the mezzanine. Taking up vantage points they finally stopped to wait, all still crouched in attack mode even as they struggled to catch their breaths.

The Guard’s mounts reared up as the Chimera charged each in turn, keeping their Bondmates safe. In retaliation their Immortal mounts slashed down with swords, injuring the beast but not really stopping its progression. The snake-tail lashed out, biting Keralah hard on the leg – which afforded her the chance to do a bit of damage as she brought her sword down to slice the snake in two, severing it from the Chimera’s body. The beast roared in pain, wheeling to face its abuser, but her mount had already danced away. Keralah felt the world fading out and she fell from her Bondmate's back, unconscious; her Unicorn Bondmate Nighthaven set to first stomping the snake still locked to his Bondmate’s leg to its death, then desperately drawing on its fading magic to help save Keralah's life.

The Chimera descended into a haze of madness then, flying blindly forward, leaving a trail of blood in its wake. The Guard had no choice but to let it through – there was no way any of them could hinder it now. With their War-sister clinging to life just barely, they locked minds, mounts and Immortals alike, sending what little magic they had left to shield the beast’s ultimate prey. It careened through the entrance doors of the Palace, shattering them, powering madly down the corridor leading to the Throne Room.

On the same ledge where Tempest was perched, the Cats waited in ambush, feeling that the Lion part of the Chimera was close enough to their kin to anticipate what it might do. Knowing that it would charge blindly now that it was wounded, it would not expect the attack from above. And as it emerged, shattering the wooden doors to the throne room they struck, springing from their perches and flying through the air to besiege the creature.

They had been right. Unprepared for the three snarling Cats all claws and teeth the beast roared mightily, the goat head in the middle of its back baying and attempting to gore Goldmane even as the golden Cat raked at its eyes. Jaddi fastened his jaws around the beast’s throat; Baggi tore at the lion-head, taking out whatever she could with teeth and claws. Aracon careened in and attacked, letting fly a hail of hooves, attempting to take out a leg or its ribs. At the throne, Senarin raised a magical shield, striving to protect their King.

Ian and Ryan rushed in then, having deposited their precious cargo with Taravair and the Horn Guard. As Taravair and Keralah had promised, the Guard had locked minds, reaching out to Ian and Ryan as they went into battle. Ian felt his mind lock with Taravair and he charged the creature, bringing his sword down hard on its flank, drawing blood. Ryan circled, looking for an open spot to wound as well; with Keralah unable to, her War-sister Veirandine guided Ryan from afar. Ryan watched as the beast became more distracted, and saw her chance. As Goldmane jumped free of the now-slain goat head Ryan attempted to move in, hoping to stab the creature through the ribcage.

In a burst of strength, the Chimera threw off its remaining feline tormentors, whirling as it scented Ian’s presence. Within its mind, it cursed itself for not taking the Humans down in the forest in the days previous. He’d centered on the Unicorn Immortal instead, not realizing he had been of no consequence. Now, he would right where he’d erred. In a flash, one of the creature's giant paws lashed out, the attempt at slashing Ian down instead connecting with his sword as Ian dodged the assault, wrenching it from his hand. Ian screamed as his shoulder was yanked forward, narrowly letting go of the blade in time. The sword flew across the room, and Ian dodged out of the way, weaponless, the Chimera whirling to follow after him...

Ian’s second howl of pain changed the plan dramatically. Ryan looked up and saw Ian's arm trapped in the Chimera’s jaws. At first, for a few dazed seconds, she was paralyzed with fear. Suddenly realizing where she was and what she was doing, panic rising within her, her terror caused her to lose contact with Veirandine. She felt the world moving in slow motion as the Chimera dragged Ian, her own blood rushing in her ears drowning out everything...

~My dear one, I promise this is the last time I shall lead you. He is your heart, the one who loves you more than all others. Do not let him perish.~

Even as Ryan’s mind panicked, told her to let go and run, Tempest's presence within her mind and soul filled her and gave her courage. Suddenly feeling as strong as ten men, the world around her seeming to stand still. Her terror turned to furor at the creature for attacking her beloved and she felt herself suddenly rushing forward with the hilt of her sword clutched tightly in both hands, blade pointing down, raising it… and driving it through the Chimera’s back, severing its spine with an inhuman thrust.

In one last surge of death-strength, the Chimera whirled and flung its head, sending Ian crashing into Ryan; in turn, they both slid across the floor, tumbling end over end in a tangled mess before slamming hard into the wall. The creature then collapsed, legs no longer connected to its mind. Loss of blood caught up with it, and for a few more moments it writhed; then finally, it was still.

For what seemed like hours rather than minutes, the room was silent, the only movement being the Cats rising to their feet. Then suddenly, Aracon let out an equine shriek, galloping to the two bloodied heaps against a far wall, a smeared trail of blood marking their path across the floor. A thunder of footsteps and hooves heralded the Horn Guard members able to regenerate enough to offer aid racing into the room. Above on the mezzanine, Tempest frantically called out to Ryan's soul, terror rising in his own as he was met with the searing pain of her injuries, the Lifebond connecting him to what she was feeling.

Ryan opened her eyes, her head pounding and chest aching making breathing difficult, afraid to move; Ian lay on his back beneath her, his eyes unfocused and half-closed. She was afraid to look at his left arm; his armor was covered in blood, the steel and chainmail being no match for the Chimera's gigantic jaws. She watched his eyes begin to lose their light...

"Ian!" she screamed, **"IAN!!"** Don't you **dare** leave me!!!

Ryan was near hysterics as the Horn Guard members, both First and Immortal that possessed healing powers crowded around them. Veirandine laid hands on Ryan, stabilizing her body with her healing gifts so she could turn her over to appraise her injuries. Ryan wailed as the Immortal pulled her away from Ian, completely losing her grip on her composure as her last sight of Ian saw his eyes close, head turning loosely to one side; she was almost certain there was nothing left of his arm...

Ryan then began to feel something else: a deep calming presence, her body feeling like it was floating as it was bathed in warmth, as if she were in the most comfortable bed that ever existed. She was in a dark place, but wasn't afraid; she was wrapped in protection and wondered absently if she was finding a repressed memory from being a baby, still in her mother's womb.

Veirandine's voice spoke to her then, gentle, comforting in her mind. ~I am here, brave one. Let us mend these wounds so we can celebrate your victory.~

~I feel fine... I just want Ian...~

~Shhh... rest now, little warrior.~ Ryan felt the comfort envelop her then and she drifted off, feeling safe and loved, the beautiful, ethereal faces of three more Unicorn Immortals hovering over her in addition to Veirandine's, their hands laying on her with reassurance.

 

 

 

_"Hey, Ian. Get up. You're going to be late."_

_Ian jumped up at his father's voice waking him, having slept through his alarm. He scrambled to dress, having no time to do his hair in its usual spiky style; good thing bandannas were in fashion because one served him well today as he tied it around his head, trapping said unruly hair. He flew down the stairs from the attic; his mother had gotten his lunch ready and handed him a bagel as he headed for the door. Ryan was picking him up today too, man was she going to be mad as hell that he kept her waiting. He came to the front door, calling goodbyes over his shoulder, and threw it open..._

_A monstrous set of jaws burst in from the open door and clamped down on his left arm, the creature violently shaking him; his world fell apart then as fear paralyzed him. Visions of all those he loved -- his parents, his sister, Ryan -- flashed before him as the beast assaulted him, his body flipping back and forth until it suddenly let go. He felt himself flying, hitting something along the way, and then a sickening crack and splitting pain through his skull as he came to a stop._

_Ryan was suddenly there, looking down at him, sobbing; why was she crying though? What happened? Where am I? Where is my family... I want to go home..._

~I did not vow to keep you safe to lose you, my friend. You will come back to me.~ Taravair sent every ounce of his strength through Ian, three other Immortals -- one other Guard member and two Master Healers of the First Unicorn -- also sending their strength. Ian felt wrapped in protection, completely safe for the first time in his life; all he needed in this world was Ryan, the only one he'd ever loved...

 

 

 

_I have to get back to her... we promised we'd fight for each other..._

Ian began to float, the four healing presences somehow making him feel weightless, unable to feel anything except peace. He had more visions of his family, his old life, but they had begun to slowly fade. He reached for them, but somehow knew deep down that he would never see them again.

~I belong here now, don't I?~ he asked Taravair as the Immortal continued to lay hands on him; the darkness around him wasn't frightening for some reason, but the fading visions of his family tore at his heart. ~I was home again for a few moments... but then the Chimera found me...~

~Do not trouble yourself now. All will be as it should once you are well. Sleep now, and let us bring you back to us,~ Taravair comforted him.

Ian nodded then, giving himself over to the comforting magic of the Healers. His last thought, as he attempted to move his left arm and finding he couldn't feel it, was that he was really in trouble if that arm wasn't working because he really wanted to play his guitar. He had a song he'd been meaning to write, about a girl who he had to fight for, who he would win in the end, at all costs.

_We said we'd do anything to be together,_ he thought to himself as the comforting place he was in went dark, _I guess that even means following you to Heaven. Which works... because you'll always be my angel... and I'll be yours..._

He heard her calling for him, somewhere in the distance, as his spirit responded to the beckoning to come to eternal peace from the voices of long lost loved ones, the Unicorn fighting to stop him from going...

 

 

 

The Throne Room was crackling with magic as the eight Healers, four for each Human, were aided with the strength of as many of the Unicorn and Unicorn Immortals as could spare it. Keralah, having been cleansed of the Chimera's poison but still weak, had insisted her mount bear her into the room; she now also knelt at Ryan's side, one hand on the comparatively tiny Human girl. She wept, angry that she couldn't offer her strength to help save her friend's life and terrified they would lose her spirit for good.

The Cats huddled together in a ball; if they could cry they probably would have been, especially Goldmane who was near to inconsolable. Tempest had come down from the mezzanine and was standing with Aracon, holding onto his father to keep himself upright. He frantically called to Ryan's soul, but now felt nothing at all as the Healers shielded her as they worked. Senarin sat on the steps to the throne, head in hands, tears flowing uncontrollably as he called to Danicala for her aid and angered when there was only silence in response. _Of all the times I need you, you desert me now? They may lose their lives for your bidding, WHERE ARE YOU?_ Moonraiser stood on the throne, muscles tensed as he sent out all of his considerable magic to his people. Several other members of the Herd had filed in, lending what strength they could; when their magic was spent, they aided a few members of the Guard in disposing of the Chimera's remains.

"It's taking too long!" Tempest cried, terror threatening to choke his very being. "They have to live... they _have to_..."

Suddenly Keralah cried out, the Immortals around Ryan joining in as the color returned to her face, her chest rising and falling again despite being in the deep regenerative sleep the Healers had put her in. Tempest rushed over, dropping to his knees; he broke down completely as he began to feel Ryan's soul again, however faint as it was wrapped in many healing shields, letting him know she would indeed live.

The group around Ian was still feverishly linked, two more First Unicorn joining in. Taravair was trying not to despair, his hands cradling Ian's severely injured head, every ounce of his Master Healer's gifts pouring into the Human to heal the massive head wound. Two of the Healers were regenerating the muscle and bone of Ian's shredded left arm; yet still the entire group came close to losing hope as his spirit still had not answered their calls.

Tempest left Ryan's side then, going over to Ian and dropping to his knees; he looked to Taravair, a deep fear seizing his heart.

~I can't reach him," Taravair sent to Tempest, the admission threatening to bring on tears. ~I've healed him physically... but there's nothing... no answer anymore... no... Dear Goddess please bring him back...~

His Immortal brother's despair spurring him on Tempest laid hands on Ian then, drawing within and calling upon the part of his soul where Ryan's rested. Sending it out through his magic as a fallen autumn leaf floats down a stream, he channeled what he now knew was within Ryan's spirit into her fallen friend: The deep, encompassing love she had for Ian, that Tempest had sensed from the very beginning of the Bond. Ian's body took on a soft golden halo...

~Ian... you must come back to us.~ The part of Tempest's spirt that was Ryan's called out to Ian's, her voice the same... and Tempest's own soul froze as at first. There was nothing but the _stillness_. The terrifying, soul-wrenching stillness, the same one he'd felt when, at 10 years old, he'd reached out for the half of his Human spirit that was his mother's as he lay sprawled across her lifeless body, the arrow through her heart against the side of his face as he desperately tried to reach her. Fighting the horrific memory, unearthed for the first time in a century, he continued to spur his piece of Ryan's soul to seek Ian out. Continuing through the darkness her voice continued to call to Ian, carried by Tempest's magic reaching out...

Finally, an answer, faint at first. "I'm going home," Ian's voice said, growing a bit in volume as Tempest spurred Ryan's soul forward.

~You have to come back to us,~ Tempest added. ~Ryan needs you. She cannot be here alone. Without you she shall perish... all the Healers' work will have been for naught for her heart will only break again.~

Ian's spirit ventured closer. "I... she loves me... I waited so long for her to say it... I waited so long to say it... We promised we'd fight for each other..."

Tempest opened the part of him that was Ryan again, his spirit voice changing to hers. "Come back to me... don't go... what will I do without you? We had so little time together..."

Tempest felt a surge in the will of Ian's spirit then. "We didn't have enough time... we need more..." His presence grew stronger then as he came closer...

With everything within his being Tempest, once again combining his soul with Ryan's surged his own spirit forward. Tempest effectively seized Ian's spirit with the two halves of his own soul -- the spirit-equivalent of Tempest's part of his soul grabbing one of Ian's hands, Ryan's part the other -- and pulled with all his might then as Ian's spirit fought more confusion.

"But I was going home," Ian protested. "It was just like I've always read... a bright light... voices of people I once knew... my Gram and Gramps, I've missed them..."

~You are needed here with us,~ Tempest assured him as he kept pulling. ~Ryan needs you more than those Spirits... they can wait for you, they will be there when you return someday... but not today.~

"All right... if you say so," Ian's spirit replied. "But I'm going to need my arm fixed..."

Tempest almost smiled then as Ian's spirit began to cooperate, traveling with his, moving more quickly now. ~Don't worry... all shall be right again...~

Tempest felt Taravair's gifts as they came to the ephemeral doorway back to Ian's body. ~You see, even Taravair fights for your return. War-brothers never leave each other behind.~

Ian's spirit swelled more then, now traveling on its own power. "I like him, he's pretty badass." He traveled toward the Immortal Healer's power then...

Suddenly Taravair cried out, bursting into tears as his calls to Ian's mind were finally answered. The room erupted in joyous cries and hysterical sobs as Ian's color returned. Ian's body was bathed in a bright rainbow halo as Taravair and his companions finished their work, slowly withdrawing as Ian's chest finally began to rise and fall.

Senarin, relieved but emotionally wrecked, came over to where Keralah and the Cats had stayed with the sleeping Ryan as the Guard prepared to carry the two Humans to their healing room.

"Spare nothing, be certain they are bathed and clothed; someone is to remain with them at all times. I want to know the moment they awaken," he commanded. The Guard members wrapped both Humans in blankets; Aracon himself then bore Ryan on his back, Tempest draping an arm over her to assure she didn't fall, with Taravair's mount Summerstorm carrying Ian with Taravair steadying his friend in the same manner. The members of the Guard able to then escorted the two young warriors, now heroes both, to the convalescence rooms of the Palace.

 


	22. Chapter 22

~Come back now… you are safe, dear one. The trial is over, and you have passed.~

Ryan roused slowly to consciousness, Tempest’s voice pulling her forward. At first, she’d forgotten what had happened, where she was… and in a burst it returned, sending her bolt upright in the bed. A wave of dizziness resulted and she remained still, attempting to calm it.

"Easy... you were mended enough to recover, but you are still weak. It has been three days since the battle, and you need food and drink," Tempest said gently, his arm wrapping behind her back to steady her as she sat up.

"The... the Chimera... is it... did we..." She was still having trouble collecting her thoughts as her body slowly woke up.

Jaddi came up to the bed then with the other two Cats; they had not left the room since she and Ian had been brought there. "Yes... you slayed it yourself, but took quite a blow,” he put in as he stooped to meet her eyes, which she fought to focus. “Ian hit you pretty hard… or should I say the Chimera hit you with him…”

“Ian! Where is he?” Ryan gasped, the memory of him lying on the Palace floor, the light fading from his eyes flooding back in yet another burst. "Oh god... I saw him... he... he's..."

“No... he lives, Ryan. He is right in the next bed,” Tempest comforted her. “He sleeps for now. His arm was savaged, but our Healers were able to save it, as they were you. For that, I thank the Goddess.” He inwardly shuddered at the memory of how close he had come to watching Ian choose the path that led away from life.

She broke down then, sobbing as more came back to her: Ian being thrown around like a rag doll in the Chimera's jaws, screaming in agony and terror... Tempest felt the trauma within and laid hands on her, sending a flow of calming magic through her body. The feel of it nudged her memory more and she looked at Tempest then, something else coming back to her. “How did you…”

“Move you to kill the beast? Our Bond…” He hesitated a bit then. “The same magic I used… before… Your fear had caused you to lose contact with the Guard as they guided you, and you needed strength. The Bond also encompasses protection... I am bound to protect you in any way I can."

Ryan closed her eyes then, the feel and sight of the sword taking down the Chimera chilling her. “I didn’t think you had that in you…”

“To kill? To will someone to? I did not… I only gave you the strength to do what you were destined to do. I reminded you of what... who... you were fighting for, and your own spirit rose accordingly. And now your part is done.”

Ryan shuddered as it came back even more vividly: seeing the sword clenched in her hands, driving the blade through. She attempted to shake her head and found herself dizzy again, moaning a bit as she raised a hand to her head which prompted Tempest to gently lay a hand on her shoulder once more, a warmth spreading through her as he offered some healing strength via their Bond.

“Ryan…”

She raised her head, carefully despite the surge of happiness at hearing his voice, toward Ian’s feeble whisper. Realizing she hadn’t even looked over at him, possibly out of fear of what she'd see, she climbed off the bed. When her legs betrayed her, Tempest scooped her up, carrying her the few steps to Ian's bedside, setting her gently down in a chair.

At first, seeing him hit her harder than she'd hit the wall when the Chimera had thrown Ian into her. Ian's left arm was about ten shades of purple and red, but appeared to be working as he raised it gingerly to reach for her hand. His right eye was surrounded by an equally gruesome bruise, that side of his face swollen still. His mid-back length blond hair had been braided to one side by Taravair after the Healers had cleansed Ian of the remnants of battle, the plait laid over his chest.

As much as her own head hurt Ryan broke down in hard sobs, climbing into the bed and cuddling to his right side; he wrapped that arm around her, the weaker one reaching for her hand on his chest. He could tell by how hard she was crying that there was something that needed to come out, but he waited, rubbing her back comfortingly until she calmed down.

"You... you... I saw your eyes," she whispered, hugging him tightly.

"What do you mean?"

"I... you... I think... I think you died..."

Ian struggled to remember the jumble of strange visions he knew he'd had. He'd thought them all to be dreams, but as he came to consciousness more, he wasn't quite sure they were... until one in particular came back in a rush.

"I..." he felt himself shiver then as he realized it. "I saw that light they always talk about... my Grams and Gramps were there. I was going to go see them. They wanted me to come with them so much and I wanted to go, I wanted to feel safe with them like I did when I was a child... and then I heard your voice calling me back."

The confirmation pulled more sobs from Ryan even as his words confused her. "Me?" I don't think it was me..."

"It was you, and then I heard Tempest too. And Taravair... everyone kept calling me back... I remembered what I promised you... and then I decided to stay."

Ryan broke down completely at that, burying her face in his chest as she realized how close she'd come to losing him; he squeezed her with his good arm. “Shhh.... it's okay. I'm here now,” he murmured, fighting to stay awake as the fatigue from the battle and his injuries took over. “Remember, we said we'd fight for each other... I remembered... and I came back to you...”

She lifted herself up onto one elbow then; she meant to kiss him, but was caught instead by his eyes... those beautiful, gentle blue eyes... full of light again, which made her own eyes spill more tears. "I'm just... I'm so happy you're alive..."

“Well I'm pretty excited about that... but maybe more that you made it too,” he whispered, his own eyes tearing up as well. "It wouldn't have been worth sticking around without you." She saw his eyes turn sleepy then as the fatigue of his much more intense healing caught up with him. Unable to stay awake any longer, Ian's eyes fell closed and he drifted off. Ryan laid her head on his chest, closing her eyes as well. Pressing her ear to his chest directly over his heart, she listened to it beating and found its reassuring rhythm comforting as it lulled her to sleep.

The Cats had taken their leave as the pair had begun to talk. Tempest, however, had retreated to a corner of the room, reluctant to leave Ryan as he could feel her weakened state through the Bond. As he watched the two humans reunite, he felt another surge through the half of his soul Ryan owned: the deep love for Ian that had been there for quite some time, possibly hidden away and only now being allowed to show itself. Her soul told of her love being held back, perhaps being forced to do so... and now she was free to embrace it.

As he watched her fall asleep in the arms of the one she truly loved, Tempest's heart grew heavy. _This Bond, whatever it is, cannot be confused with love_ , she had said, and he now knew what she'd meant. The deep, long-hidden love her heart now poured fourth was not, and never would be, for him.

Certain that his Bond to her would let him know if anything was amiss he rose, casting one more glance to the bed where Ryan and Ian lay together. He quietly took his leave, deep in thoughts mired in equally deep sadness.

 

* * *

 

It had been nearly ten days before either Ian or Ryan were well enough to finish what the Chimera’s death had enabled them to do. Now, with their strength returning, they were both ushered out to the Clearing of the Idol, the collective population of the Unicorn unable to wait any longer for their life force to be restored. The entire Herd ringed the area, the Immortals joining them, most standing with their Bondmates. As Ian and Ryan walking with the Cats and Tempest passed them Ryan saw Keralah, back to full strength and standing with Nighthaven at her side. They met eyes, both grinning in happiness at the other's healed state; Ryan gave her a 'see you later' nod as they continued on.

Ian held Ryan's hand as he walked at her side, surveying the scene around them and feeling the excited tension in the air. At the foot of the injured Idol lay the Horn, repaired from the damage the Chimera's jaws had inflicted and gleaming in the sun. A few steps behind them Tempest followed, concerned for Ryan's place in the ritual to come.

“The last piece has yet to be put to rights,” Senarin stated as Ian and Ryan stopped before him. “The question remains now as to which of you shall finish this journey and close this Circle forever.”

Ian and Ryan’s eyes met, both passing wordless encouragement to the other. Finally, Ian spoke.

“Ah… maybe it’s best that I do this… I mean, she kinda killed the thing. I think maybe she’s done her part,” he smirked. Ryan smiled in return, stifling a laugh.

“Agreed,” Senarin replied with an amused tone, happy to see Ian's very interesting Human sense of humor had returned with his return to strength. "As long as you feel well enough to carry out this duty."

"I'm as ready as I ever will be,” Ian summed up. Walking forward with Taravair, he paused in front of the gold-plated stone Horn. Still finding it difficult to heft on his own, his arm healed but still somewhat weak Taravair offered his help, steadying the pointed end. Ian nodded to the Unicorn and they walked up to the statue, with Ian finding the stump on its forehead just out of his reach despite climbing up the four stairs to the base. Aracon trotted forward then, bending a knee gallantly to offer his back for Ian to stand on. More murmurs ensued then – it was against all tradition to allow a Human to ride upon a First Unicorn's back in any way.

~This is no ordinary Human,~ Aracon open-sent. ~He is about to save us all.~ His words quieted the assemblage and Ian stepped onto Aracon’s back, holding his end of the Horn as Taravair steadied his. Ian continued to hold onto the Horn as best he could as Aracon stood up, taking him out of the reach of Taravair's aid. Ian steadied himself, evening out his balance with the heavy Horn in his hands and turning it until the broken ends matched. Taking in a deep breath, he met the broken end of the Horn with its stump on the forehead of the Idol.

A flash not unlike the one Ian had seen when Aracon had first vanquished the Chimera in the woods temporarily blinded the assembled Mythologicans, sending Ian tumbling off of Aracon’s back. An almost painful, metallic ringing filled the clearing and suddenly the Idol itself came to life, rainbows pulsing within it. They radiated down from the healed Horn, through the Idol, washing over the ground and finally touching the Palace. The prism-like wave continued on, washing the Palace in color until it was so bright one could not look at it with the naked eye. The First Unicorn reared, crying out in trumpeting voices; the Immortals rejoiced, embracing Bondmates, Lifemates, friends. Even Aracon seemed to change, growing more filled out, his color now an even brighter snow-white than before.

Jaddi’s roar broke through the din then, his hackles raised. “Ian! Something’s wrong with Ian!”

The assemblage turned almost in unison to where Ian had slumped to the ground, kneeling, head in hands. He was trembling, and appeared ready to collapse fully. Taravair's heart clenched, terrified he'd missed something in the healing of Ian's massive injuries. Ryan tore herself from the protective embrace Tempest had pulled her into when the Idol began to heal to go to Ian. For several minutes, she couldn’t get through to him even as she shouted his name so loud her voice cracked, a sickening fear rising within her that he'd been mortally wounded again in some way.

“Ian… can you hear us?” Aracon cried, tail lashing, fearing the strong Unicorn magic had somehow irreparably harmed his Human friend.

“It’s so loud… make it stop…” Ian moaned feebly. “My head… hurts…”

Senarin’s eyes widened and he stepped cautiously toward Ian, dropping to one knee. Gently, he used a hand under Ian's chin to raise the Human's face to meet his – and what Ryan saw there caused her to recoil in shock. Imprinted in Ian’s forehead, bloodlessly, was a black eight-pointed star. Aracon’s tail lashed and he danced on his cloven hooves in disbelief even as Senarin placed a hand on Ian’s head to quiet the din within it.

“The Goddess has given him Her thanks,” Senarin stated, his voice shaky with a deep dismay of his own. “He has received the same Blessing as Aracon gave to Tempest a century ago. He shares the spirit of the Unicorn...the Immortal spirit, to ensure that he shall never court death again."

As the Song in Ian’s head quieted he now comprehended what Senarin had said, and shot to his feet.

“What the hell have you done to me?” he cried, near hysterics as Ryan broke down in tears. He could feel something had changed within him; he felt stronger, his body humming with an unseen, unnamed force. Just a few moments before he'd still felt not entirely back to full health; now he felt more like what he imagined a superhero would feel like.

“We have done nothing,” Aracon said, touching his horn to Ian, flooding him with calming magic. “You have received a gift for your part in our salvation. You have Healed the Idol… that means much, to all of us.”

“But he’s been _changed!"_ Ryan cried, pulling Ian into an embrace, Ian's body trembling in her arms.

~It is another circle closed,~ Tempest sent to them both, bringing her up short. ~As I was Blessed, so was Ian. If it hadn’t been him, it would have been you. But it would have happened no matter how things had gone.~

Ian looked down at her then, his eyes almost weary. Gently, he gathered her to him, tears welling in his eyes.

“I guess we can both forget about going home,” he said softly.

 


	23. Chapter 23

Ian had gone quiet since he and Ryan had returned to their room, taking up residence on an ornate bench built into the balcony of the chamber. Chin resting on folded arms as he leaned on the stone railing he stared out over the darkening Mythologican forest, completely at a loss.

Ryan had kept her distance, but found she no longer could stay away from him. Pausing at the doorway to the balcony to watch him for a few moments, her heart broke as she saw him wipe away tears for one of many times since they'd come back from the Healing Ceremony. She moved forward, the setting sun glinting off of an ornamentation on the tunic she wore, catching his attention. He turned his head to face her, still resting it on his folded arms.

“Hey you,” he said, his voice soft as the present wave of tears began to subside. She swallowed hard as she found herself unable to not have her attention caught by the addition to his features: the Star, present on his forehead now, resting above the kindest, most beautiful blue eyes she'd ever known. Silently, she sat down next to him, wrapping an arm around him and resting her chin on his shoulder as he returned to staring out at the forest, now bathed in the misty blue of twilight.

“I... don't know what I am anymore,” he said finally, after a long silence.

“You're still you. One thing I learned from this Bond is that your soul is your soul... nothing can change who you are in the deepest of your being.”

“I know but... I just can't wrap my head around the fact that I'm not completely Human anymore... I mean... a few days ago we were in my room... playing chess... hoping the summer didn't go by too fast... and now I'm not even the same person I was born as. I've got this... other part of me now.”

“What does it feel like?”

“I... haven't sorted it all out yet. I just feel...lighter, stronger. I... if this even makes any sense... I don't feel like time is affecting me anymore. I'm not worried about counting days... the day we came here might as well have happened years ago... I've just always... 'been'...” He turned to her then as he heard the unmistakable sound of a sob catching in her throat, sitting up to pull her to him. “What's wrong?”

“You're immortal... and... I'm not... so what happens now?”

Ian's heart suddenly went cold. The implications of his immortality had not fully taken hold, and now he suddenly realized that Ryan would grow old and die... while he remained young, and lived on. He opened his mouth to speak and couldn't at first, the realization nearly too painful to bear.

“Oh god... they have to take this back... if this means I have to lose you someday... I don't want it...” He broke down then, crushing her to him, sobbing into her hair as he rocked her gently in his arms. Night fell as they held each other, afraid to let go as their world became more uncertain and frightening with each passing thought.

Ryan's swirling mind was paused abruptly by Tempest's send. ~Ryan... I would speak with you and Ian... You're in pain, what is it?~ he asserted after feeling the distressed energy that filled her presence in his mind.

~It's Ian... what happened to him... he...~

Tempest picked up on the fears within her words. ~I... was coming to speak to you both about that, if you'll allow me.~

Ryan frowned, confused; Ian saw her expression and angled his head with an equally inquisitive frown.

“Tempest says he wants to talk to us... I think about your immortality,” she said carefully. “I'm not sure what he means, but... he's telling the truth.”

“Maybe he can help in some way. Tell him to come,” Ian replied.

Ryan relayed the message and the pair came back into the room, with Ian closing the ornately windowed doors and drawing the rich blue velvet curtains closed against the suddenly chilly mountain night. Shortly, a knock on the door produced Tempest, who sat down on a large chair in the room as Ian and Ryan sat together on a matching loveseat across from him.

~You can both hear me now, so I will mindvoice, as in our 'voices there is only truth,” Tempest began. Ian idly realized it was the first time he was receiving a send from a Unicorn, as a Unicorn himself. He found himself oddly unsurprised by how natural it felt to have another's voice in his head.

~The Lifebond that Ryan and I share...~ Tempest paused, and Ian and Ryan both felt a heaviness, a sadness, in the emotions carrying it. ~It should not be. Unicorn are not able to Bond to Humans normally. It was because I was half-Human, my inner being confused, that it reached out to her after being spurred on by my Father's magic and from what Senarin believes, the effects of Ryan having contact with the Goddess as well. My father only sought to give me the will to escape, but in addition it also caused my soul to become confused. Instead of my Unicorn half seeking a Bond, my Human half did, and it found Ryan. I believe this happened because you and she were the Chosen, and the Goddess' magic led the Unicorn part of my soul to seek out your protection as such and my Human half then embraced Ryan's Human soul.

~We both own a part of each other's souls. Ryan holds within her part of mine, and I part of hers. I cannot read her thoughts, but I can feel her emotions at times when they are stronger than normal; it's what helps my soul rise to her protection if need be, as I did during the battle.~

Ian and Ryan felt Tempest's mindvoice turn even more heavy now, a deep resignation and sadness filling it. Through their Lifebond, Ryan felt it more deeply than Ian, causing her to draw in a deep breath.

~In the moments after the battle, when I lent my aid to Taravair in healing Ian... was when I felt it. This Bond... is not mine to lay claim to. Your heart is Bonded to Ian's, Ryan, however it is that Humans can Bond. Our souls are linked, yes... but that is where it ends.~ As Tempest paused, the sadness in his send grew almost too heavy to bear. Ian and Ryan both realized at the same time where the narrative might be heading.

~I tried, because of the Bond, to act upon the physical urges it brought forth in me. When Ryan did not respond in kind as a Unicorn would, not knowing the better of it, I tried to force it with my magic. In those first hours of my freedom from captivity, I did not understand that this was wrong and even forbidden,~ Tempest continued. ~I have said this to you before Ryan, but I will always hold a deep regret and remorse for that. And... as this Lifebond should not be your burden to bear... I...~ He paused again, taking in a deep breath; Ryan began to tear up as she felt Tempest's heart break. ~If I give back to you the piece of your soul I hold, and take back mine from you... the part of yours I return will have my magic within it. It will be strong enough to Gift you, as the Idol Gifted Ian. You will be Human, in possession of a Unicorn soul as Ian is, and as I was, before my Awakening. You then will both be Half-bloods, with the potential to Awaken in time. I shall, in essence, gift you just as Aracon gifted me in my mother's womb.~

~So wait... will that erase the Bond completely then?~ Ian questioned, his own heart feeling the pain in Tempest's own through Tempest's mindvoice.

~I believe it will,~ he replied. ~The return of the piece of my soul Ryan holds will make my healing from the resulting cleanse of the Bond progress more quickly. I feel it wasn't cleansed when I was first Healed because this undoing of the soul-halves was not done, it was merely erased. This... should take it away for good.~

Ryan rose then, walking over to Tempest, no longer able to hold back the tears.

~And what about you?~ she asked, taking his hands in hers, or as best as her tiny hands could his much larger ones. ~What happens when you give me back my soul?~

~The same as before, when the Bond was blocked,~ he replied. ~You will be healed by the return of the part of your soul taken from you, and made into a Unicorn Immortal from the power of my magic within it. I will take mine back and I will then have to heal. But I shall not abandon you... I will always be your protector and hold you as a dear friend to my heart. I will always be there to watch over you.~ With each word, the weight of his sacrifice grew heavier in Tempest's send, and Ryan could feel his heart breaking into increasingly smaller fragments as she came to realize that he had chosen to sacrifice their Bond as his gift to her – out of love.

She fell apart then, circling her arms as best she could around his broad shoulders; his arms drew her into a return embrace, nearly obscuring her from Ian's view. She opened her mind voice to both Tempest and Ian, as Tempest had while telling his story.

~Oh Tempest... I'm so sorry... I wish... I wish...~ She suddenly found she couldn't make her mind say what she wanted to, and realized it was because, in her deepest of hearts, it wasn't the truth.

~I understand, Ryan... Your love lies with Ian. I know that,~ Tempest replied. ~These ways... the ways of the Unicorn... were never meant for either of you. The Gift that Ian received should not have been given without permission... it was forced upon him just as this Bond was forced upon you, in yet another circle balanced. The Goddess means well, but sometimes is a bit misguided in her gratitude. It is... the least I can do... so that you may have peace with your beloved, and so that he shall always have you. You both have suffered enough in service to this world...~ Finally, Tempest's huge, sapphire blue eyes spilled over with tears as he cradled Ryan's face in one hand. ~Out of this love, that I shall always hold for you, even if it must rest in friendship alone... I will see you and your beloved suffer no more.~

Ian rose then, walking over to them; Tempest reached out with one hand, pulling him in and the trio shared a wordless send made of many emotions: Forgiveness, friendship, gratitude, love. After several long moments, they all broke the embrace.

~I... can finish it now,~ Tempest asserted, ~If you are ready.~

Ryan drew in a deep breath, then nodded. ~Let's... do this, so we can all move on.~

Ian and Ryan moved back to the loveseat, and Tempest dropped down to his knees before Ryan. Taking her hands in his, he reached out with his soul, and hers responded in kind. For several long, final moments, the pair took in the feel of the unrestricted Bond. Ryan shuddered as the full urges which she hadn't recognized before when distracted by the other aspects of their time there took her over. She realized in that moment that eventually she would not have been able to resist fulfilling the Bond. She felt more sadness in her heart at the realization that these urges were the main point of why Tempest was about to sacrifice for her now – he simply had come to respect her love for Ian too much and would rather erase it entirely than act upon it to quiet it.

~Tempest... I'm... I'm sorry...~ she sent, a sudden wave of guilt over not seeing it through closing in on her.

~It was never your burden to bear,~ he replied. ~There is no need for sorrow. Let us part now, with the hearts of dear friends the tie that remains.~ His send was filled with love; as Ryan began to feel the anguish underlying it she felt him abruptly put up a shield to soften the blow of what was about to happen – and, probably, so he wouldn't turn back on his resolve.

Ryan's heart broke yet again as Tempest began to separate their souls, his own soul mourning the loss of hers as if she had passed away. As it broke free, he was unable to suppress his mournful cry, the emptiness leaving him broken. He gently replaced the part of her soul he'd possessed, and she gasped as the immortal power flowed through her, a warmth spreading through her turning into the feeling of a deep inner strength, her body seeming to hum with it. As her healed soul grew stronger he quietly reached in to take back the part of his soul that hers possessed and found it as easy to pick as a flower. It was not even entwined with her soul but resting beside it as if it knew it did not belong there, and had not entwined itself fully within her as a result. To his relief this made his reclamation painless for her, but it was yet another wound to his own heart.

Ian could see the faint halo, matching his own, envelop her body as her soul was healed in full as she tipped her head back, gasping for air as she fought to adjust. Her bangs fell away from her forehead and Ian watched as the Star formed there, slightly smaller than his, beginning as a tiny dot then the eight points growing out until it was formed in full. The exchange of souls complete, she collapsed with a sharp exhale, shuddering and bringing her hands to her head as the Song of the Unicorn assailed her mind as it had Ian's. Tempest reached out, laying a hand on her and guiding her with his own magic in how to quiet the Song so that it became a comforting presence, and not a cause of pain.

Ryan shook off the haze of the soul-healing to find the Unicorn Immortal had moved away, curled into a ball on the sofa he'd sat on previously. An aura of healing magic surrounding him as he tried to calm himself, his body still shuddering as he heaved with heartbroken sobs. Ryan broke down anew as she refrained from going to him, not knowing whether or not her presence would comfort him or hurt more.

~I... just need a moment... and I will leave you to each other,~ Tempest assured them, the tone of his 'voice shaky. Ryan realized then that she could no longer feel him at all; she felt the same sense of loss as she did the first time in the Palace, only this time her fully-healed soul was not as deeply wounded by it and did not seek his out again. Unable to watch him suffer and knowing his sacrifice on her behalf was the cause she turned to Ian, burying her face in his shoulder and sobbing as she crushed him in an embrace.

Tempest finally regained enough composure to rise to his feet, his face appearing drawn. He cast a look over to where Ian stood with Ryan, her back still to Tempest. For a moment, Tempest met eyes with Ian, and Ian felt his own heart grow heavy with sorrow at the feel of Tempest's final send; full of loss, emptiness, and most heartbreaking of all... unrequited love.

~Look deep within both of your souls... your love is deep enough to bring on the Lifebond she is meant to have. Perhaps... it was your newly-gifted soul, and not mine, her soul was meant to Bond to. She is where she is meant to be.~ Tempest's eyes spilled over with tears once last time as the affirmation only twisted the knife in his wounded heart that much more. Finally turning away he made his way to the door, taking his leave quietly without a farewell.

Ian scooped Ryan up, carrying her to the bed and laying her down gently. Too exhausted to cry anymore, she began to fall asleep almost immediately; he climbed in next to her, wrapping her in a protective embrace and feeling the now familiar hum of her new Immortal self in his arms, matching his own. He gazed at the Star on her forehead: delicate and soft, befitting her all too well. Ian sighed heavily, finally closing his eyes to sleep away the exhaustion of a very bittersweet night.

 


	24. Chapter 24

“It's unprecedented. No one has ever willingly broken a Bond on their own before. You should have come to me, Tempest, as this could have been very dangerous. You should at the very least had a Healer present. I'm thankful it went well.”

Aracon had picked up on Tempest's distressed state and had sought him out, finding him in the gardens outside of the Palace in the same hidden grove that Senarin had used to contact the Goddess. The moon illuminated the lush foliage, bathing the clearing in a cool light.

“I knew what I needed to do,” Tempest replied simply. He had refrained from sending with Aracon for the moment, finding the full-blood Unicorn's mindvoice too intense in his wounded state. “I had felt within me what needed to be done. The part of her soul within me was suffering, and I knew I could not make her act on the obligation of the Bond."

“Unicorn have no real heed of relationships. The Immortals like yourself share freely, and even mated pairs of my species will heed the call of another should it come. But this...” Aracon struggled for the correct words, his people's own ways causing him confusion.

“The one thing about living amongst Humans that aided me in this was knowing how they view things,” Tempest replied. “When I felt the deep love within her heart and soul for Ian... I knew then I could ask no more of her. She would not have been able to reconcile it like our people do. She would have taken it as a betrayal to the one her heart really lies with. In essence, I only closed yet another circle: As I was so gifted with my Unicorn soul by you, I have given the same gift to her.”

“And what will you do with the love you hold for her in your heart?” Aracon questioned. “The cleansing of the Lifebond does not encompass earthly ties, only those of the soul and spirit.”

Tempest sighed heavily then. “It will bid me to rise up to her protection, her healing, to keep her safe in this world. And perhaps, some day long hence, when her Awakening comes and she and Ian understand what their true natures will eventually be and come to understand our ways... perhaps her heart might find a small place for me. But I must prepare for it also to never come to this, as her heart belongs only to Ian... and, I believe, ever shall.”

 

 

 

The Palace was abuzz with preparations for the first celebration in quite some time. With their spirits finally healed, the Unicorn, both First and Immortals, had returned to full health and were ready to bestow proper thanks upon the two Humans who had saved their lives and world.

Ian and Ryan had been treated like royalty from the beginning of the day. Two chambermaids, Tirrene and Jilana, had come to offer them breakfast served in their room, and then proceeded to bring several dresses for Ryan to choose from for the evening's celebrations. A chamberman also came to bring Ian several outfits and once the pair had chosen, the maids took them to be altered as they were made for the much taller Unicorn people.

Ian had noticed that Ryan had been unusually subdued most of the day, even when Tirrene and Jilana had been chatting excitedly with her about the evening's events. She now sat on the balcony in the early afternoon sun, sipping some tea and looking out over the top of the same green canopy that Ian had seen when he'd climbed the tree on their first full day there.

~Hey... are you all right?~ Ian 'voiced, the first time he had exchanged mindvoiced words with the newly-Unicorn Ryan.

She turned, at first caught off guard by the sound of his voice in her mind. ~God, this is still all so weird... so overwhelming... and yet... in some bizarre way... it feels right. And I don't understand why.~

Ian paused then, for the first time reviewing his own feelings on the matter. Those first days, he had wanted nothing more than to go home. But now, as he thought of it, the desire that had been so deep within him seemed to have faded. He tried to call images of his family to his mind, and found it difficult. And Ryan was right... he knew he'd been close to his family at one time... but now, they seemed to be a distant memory, almost as if they were a century or more in the past. He'd felt the burdens of time slipping away from the first night, when he'd tried to describe the feelings to Ryan, and suddenly realized now that the freedom of immortality was, indeed, fading his memories of the past.

~It... feels like I've been here forever,~ Ian replied. ~Like I've lived a lifetime, and more. Just a few days ago... even just last night... I was able to remember at least some of where we came from, the people we left behind... and now...~  
  
~I can't remember my parents,~ Ryan finished for him. ~Just since last night, when Tempest's blessing took me over. I get what you meant now about feeling like you had always just “been”. I guess... we were never meant to go back home. Maybe we were always supposed to be here, together.~

A lingering spark of memory was fired in Ian's mind then. ~You... always wanted to be free of your parents. They stifled you, you said, never allowed you to be who you really were... mostly your mother. We talked about running away...~

~But you said you'd miss your family too much. But your father always wanted “bigger, better things” for you,~ she replied, her own fading memories sparking in return.

~So... I guess... we got what we wanted... but at what price?~ Ian wondered. ~We're not even Human anymore. We'll live forever... maybe we'll have a family together someday... but... all we have is each other. We'll have to rebuild in this new world, with no memory of the things we learned, where we came from, the things that made us who we are.~

Ryan sighed then. ~That's what's left of our Human sides talking. Soon... we won't remember, we won't miss anyone. We have those who love us here. The Cats, Keralah, Taravair, Aracon, and even Tempest... they will be our family. We don't have a choice, Ian... and maybe losing those ties that held us back to whatever we'll become... is for the best.~

Ian paused, a bit taken aback by how simple Ryan made things seem. Perhaps having had part of Tempest's soul within her for a time made her understanding of her newfound immortality a bit easier to bear – and somehow, that thought brought Ian comfort. He went to her then, sitting down next to her on the balcony and wrapping his arms around her.

~You always used to tease me about being your knight in shining armor. I guess I better get on that and find some more since the Chimera saw fit to trash mine,~ he said, the soft smile she always remembered crossing his face when he teased her a welcome sight after so much sorrow in the past few days. She crushed him into an embrace then, pressing her lips to his in a lingering kiss.

~If I have to lose everything else to have you... so be it. I will live with that,~ she replied emphatically. He then drew back from the kiss for air, cheeks flushed, unable to suppress the smile her words brought forth.

~And I can say the same,~ he replied.

 

 

 

The Unicorn chambermaids and male Unicorn attendant returned in late afternoon, to present Ian and Ryan with the clothing they had chosen earlier that day and announcing that it was time to begin preparations for the feast and celebration. Ian's attendant, a raven-haired male named Erendil, was carefully laying out Ian's clothing on the bed when Ian returned from the bath he and Ryan had shared in the room adjacent to their sleeping quarters, with Ryan staying behind to dress separately there.

~Hi,~ Ian said, unsure how to address his new Unicorn acquaintance. Erendil nodded with a soft smile, motioning to the clothing with one hand.

~They should fit now,~ he asserted. ~I do suppose the seamstresses will have to fashion you both a wardrobe for now, until your Awakenings come. You'll grow taller then.~

Ian frowned curiously. ~We'll change more?~ he asked.

Erendil paused for a few moments, then seemed to decide to continue. ~You shall... though not overnight. You see... I was once a half-blood, like you. My mother was Unicorn... a Human man captured her in the woods near the border, a few years before the War. She... was taken. I was the result.~ He paused then, and Ian could feel the pain in Erendil's send. Before he could speak, Ian felt anger welling up within him, and Erendil, via the mindvoice link, felt the response. ~She has healed over time, and my Awakening brought her peace. I bear nothing of the one who sought to leave his mark upon her now,~ he said, trying to comfort Ian's sympathy-laced anger and finding it did indeed soften it. He paused again, seeming to shake off the emotion before continuing.

~I digress,~ Erendil affirmed. ~As you can see, I bear little indication that I was once Human. When standing amongst my Unicorn brothers, my body is a bit more slight, my height a bit less, than they. But when I Awakened, my blood was cleansed of all Human, my Star appeared, and over the next few months, my body changed at the rate of the First Unicorn. I grew from my Human-size, with a shell that looked much like an exceptionally fair Human, to become very nearly all Unicorn. Because I was raised among my people, I fell easily into their ways. Bodies are meant to be shared, and we share love with more than one heart. Some day, when the Blessing within you grows, it will begin to take your blood, and you will feel it. It is a freedom that cannot be described. Any doubt that you belong here, will be gone. This, I promise you, my Lord.~

Ian listened, feeling at once fascinated and unnerved at the prospect. ~How long do you think it will take?~ he asked.

~It is too soon now,~ Erendil replied. ~You must be at peace with all of the turmoil you have been through, accepting of your place in this world. All half-bloods have this conflict, but it will fade. Once you have come to accept it, only then can Awakening happen.~

Ian smiled a bit then. ~Well, at least I know who I can call when I need to talk this out,~ he affirmed, and Erendil in turn smiled, a bit of a flush over his cheeks.

~I have been charged with your service by Senarin. He knows well that you will have some troubles as you learn to walk this world. I shall aid you as I can, my Lord, and hope that my friendship can ease your journey.~

Ian gave him a pat on the shoulder then. ~Believe me, I'm grateful for whatever and whoever can help me figure all this out,~ he acknowledged. ~But you don't have to call me Lord. I'm just Ian.~

Ian was caught by the slightly surprised expression on Erendil's face, but the Unicorn quickly pulled himself in check. ~Perhaps in the future, when we have come to know each other better. For now, my respect for the savior of my world shall come first.~

Ian then remembered that, as he used to say playfully to Ryan back in their home world, he actually now was a pretty big deal.

~All right, but only if you promise to get over it someday,~ he laughed. ~Anyway, I'm good here. I'll call if I need you but I'm pretty sure I can dress myself,~ he added with a wink. Erendil seemed a bit confused by Ian's Human sense of humor, but elected to bow his head in acknowledgement before taking his leave.

Once Erendil had gone, Ian proceeded to dress, carefully slipping on the ornately-embroidered gold tunic and leggings of some type of richly-woven, soft cloth, then appraising himself in the mirror. The mane of spiky blond hair had fallen some time before (and why not, there was no such thing as hair spray in Mythologica), the longest parts of his bangs now covering his forehead. Carefully, he brushed the soft strands away to peer at the Star beneath them. Its eight points were slightly faded, a bit less defined than Tempest's or Senarin’s, a product of his current status as a half-blood. He wondered for a bit what he would be like when he Awakened and then thought of Ryan, who would follow the same path. Eventually, he realized, everything they had been when they had arrived here would be gone save for, it seemed, some important points. Ian found himself wondering where he could find a guitar, or something like it, the call of music apparently still in his soul. Earlier that morning, on some parchment he'd found in the room, he'd lost himself in a bit of doodling with the ink and fountain pen on the desk, producing one of his signature dragon drawings. They'd been important parts of his being, and he hoped that their return to the fore meant he wouldn't lose two of the things he'd identified himself with the most.

He took the sash that had been left with his outfit and rather than using it as a belt tied his hair back into a ponytail, leaving his newly-marked forehead bare. The shorter locks of his bangs slipped out of the sash, framing his face on either side, his new Star still visible through the few wisps that settled over the front of his face. He was still taken aback by the permanent mark on his features... but now, there was no turning back.

_Guess I’d better get used to it,_ he noted with a sigh. He was just about to begin wondering where Ryan was when the door to the bathing chamber opened and she came in, pausing to bid her own handmaidens farewell so they could prepare for the night. She walked in wearing a rich green velvet gown with similarly-ornate embroidery to his own clothing, the alterations fitting it to her body perfectly. Her deep auburn hair was set off by the green of the dress, her own bangs parting slightly off-center as they always had to reveal her own Star. Ian stopped, realizing he had never seen her look so beautiful.

~Well don't you look handsome,~ she smiled as she walked toward him, her green satin slippers glittering with more embroidery and tiny gems, the same as on her gown. She sparkled like the sun on water, and all at once Ian felt like his heart would burst.

~I'm not sure I can find any words that fit you right now,~ he replied, stepping toward her and taking both her hands in his.

Ryan couldn't suppress the giggle his words brought forth. ~Oh stop. Pretty soon you'll be sounding like those old stories we used to read back in our former home.~ Ian noted with irony that Ryan's way of speaking was also already beginning to change.

~I hope I can remember them,~ he replied, ~I'll need them to address my fair lady properly,~ the wink that followed letting her know he was teasing her, yet again. She fondly realized that, despite all, one of the things she loved the most about him she not only remembered, but had not changed within him.

Just then the open mindvoiced call from Moonraiser announcing that the feast would begin within the hour came through, followed by Aracon's private invitation to Ryan and Ian to a small gathering in the garden before they proceeded to the Hall. Ian reached for her hand then, taking it up and entwining his arm with hers, setting her hand to rest on his forearm.

~When in... Mythologica,~ he shrugged with another wink, and Ryan couldn't contain her laughter as they left the room together, traveling down the radiant, rainbow-hued corridor to meet their friends in the garden, which was aglow with the evening sunset when they arrived. The Cats had assembled with Aracon and Senarin to await them.

“What's going on?” Ian asked as he and Ryan took a seat on one of the stone benches. Goldmane came over to the pair, sitting down on the grass at Ryan's feet and resting his chin on her knees, a sign of affection from members of the Cat race.

“These ceremonial things aren't really our place,” Baggi began. “We've been missing our home to be certain, so we have decided we're going to take our leave. But we didn't want to go without seeing you first.”

“Are you sure you can’t stay, even for just a few more days?” Ryan begged as she scratched behind Goldmane’s ears, setting him to a deep-throated purr.

“An important time for our people comes,” Jaddi responded. “The late summer brings the heat on our females, and it’s stronger when we’re all together. Baggi has already borne one cub in Goldmane. Now that he’s matured, she can heat again – and this time, she may bear more than one cub. That chance is made greater by being amongst our own, and by the fact that the world’s magic has been restored.”

Ryan nodded sadly then. “We’ll miss you,” she noted quietly.

"Don't worry. I'll be back once our mating time is over, to keep watch on you," Baggi said. "You are my Heart-daughter, little warrior, and I shall ever bear the love of a mother for you."

Ryan swallowed hard then, tearing up as Baggi came to her, sitting down next to her and gathering her into a furry embrace that Ryan let herself be buried in.

"That first night, when you carried me... I have never felt more safe," Ryan said, her voice teary. "If I'm to have a mother in this world, I'll gladly have you for her."

As Baggi and Ryan continued their moment together, with Goldmane adding to the embrace, Jaddi came over to Ian, sitting down next to him as well and pulling him into an embrace with a muscular arm.

"Don't think you've been left out," Jaddi informed him. "I have never felt more fear than those moments after the battle. We thought we had lost you." Ian drew in a breath then as his head rested on Jaddi's massive chest, the great Cat also holding the Human in the embrace reserved for a beloved cub. "You have shown more bravery than any Human I have ever known. Our journey together has tied me to you as well, my Heart-son. Goddess willing there will be no more battles to fight, but if there are... I shall always be at your side."

Ian fought back a rush of tears then, the fading memories of his own father, with whom he'd been very close, feeling like those that fade over time when a loved one has passed on. Though it felt a little bittersweet, Ian returned Jaddi's embrace, tears welling in his eyes.

"I am honored," Ian said, looking up at the beautiful, noble Lion face he had been in awe of since the first night, when the Cats had saved their lives from the dragon. "If I have to leave my own family behind, I could not ask for a better father to carry me to my new life here."

Senarin and Aracon observed the touching moment from a bit away, allowing the five friends their privacy and closure after sharing perhaps the deepest Heart-Bonding anyone they had known had ever had.

~I hope this world doesn't change them too much,~ Senarin said, his 'voice thoughtful. ~Their Human spirits are so different from any we have known here. Perhaps it is because they believed before they came here. But they are so brave, and have such resolve. I only wish they did not have to sacrifice so much. Their families might as well have been lost to the passing on mortals are doomed to."

“No one ever is completely the same forever,” Aracon noted. “Time will change all people, all beings, eventually. But it will be so gentle a change they probably won’t notice it. And they have already forged strong ties with some of our people. The Cats bestow Heart-Bonds, and Taravair and Keralah consider them siblings now.”

"Danicala told me there would be ways to ease their transition to this world. It unsettles me that their memories fade of who they have been, who they have known... but I guess it is for the best. The longing and pain of missing their old lives would have made it far more difficult to accept their place here," Senarin replied.

Aracon nodded then. ~In their old world, they exist as they always have. Silver Light spoke of worlds where another version of one exists, but their life has a very different path. Sometimes, when one feels they have come from another place, it is absolutely true. His theory has been proven true with them. Their old lives there will translate to dreams, creative moments, things that will define them here as they did in the other time and place.~

“The more things change, the more they stay the same,” Ian said to Jaddi as they had continued to discuss their new family ties, and Senarin, catching his words on the evening breeze, smiled as Ian's words aligned with Senarin and Aracon's private conversation. _At least they have accepted their fate gracefully... as they have all of this change. Perhaps my people can learn something from them,_ he thought to himself.

“Yes,” Aracon agreed as he and Senarin walked back to the group. “But the biggest changes of all are still to come… our world has much healing to do, and you both will be a big part of that.”

Ian rose, walking over to Ryan with a wry smirk. “I do know one thing that’s probably changed for both of us,” he said to her.

“What’s that?” she asked.

“I bet you’ll never challenge me to a game of chess again.”

For a moment, the fading memories made Ryan pause, and then it came back to her in a burst: Ian's room, in a home that now seemed almost strange and very far away, and the chess set which she found herself for a moment wishing they still had. She then broke into laughter and Ian joined her as well; she playfully pretended to cuff his chin with an equally feigned fist, then fell into his arms, squeezing him tightly and fighting back a rush of tears. The others didn't understand the joke but knew something private had passed between the pair, and waited in respectful silence until both regained their composure. Ryan was just about to attempt to explain when trumpets sounded from inside the main hall of the Palace.

“It's time,” Senarin affirmed. “We'll go on ahead. I do wish the Cats would stay to receive thanks as well, though.”

Jaddi snorted at that. “We do what our world calls us to. There is no thanks needed. We only ever do what is right.” Senarin and Aracon still paused to honor the Cats with a bow and their own thanks, then took their leave from the garden.

Goldmane had begun to rise, pausing to hug Ryan, the deep purr she'd brought forth still rumbling in his chest. “We will always be close by. Watch for the blue and yellow birds that flit about in the garden. The Unicorn call them “Wish Birds”. Speak to them when you want to see us, and they will carry the message.”

Ryan nodded, taking in the noble, golden face and the deep green eyes. “I will. I hope you find a good mate,” she smiled, and Goldmane chuffed warmly, shaking his mane.

“Goddess willing!” he laughed as he rose to his full height, stepping aside so Baggi and Jaddi could also give their Heart-cubs embraces of goodbye. Finally, as the sun sank below the tree line, the Cats took their leave into the forest, leaving Ian and Ryan alone in the garden where he once again took her hand.

“Well... let's go and see what they have in store for us,” he said, and she nodded in agreement as they made their way back to the Palace.

 


	25. Chapter 25

After the dinner which took the better part of the early evening, the assembled residents of the Palace had crowded the throne room to near capacity. As Ian and Ryan ascended the throne with Aracon, Ryan had noticed that Tempest was conspicuous by his absence, but knew he was probably still too wounded to be very social. Shortly, Moonraiser, Senarin and Aracon took up places on the throne dias, and Senarin rose to speak.

“We have been rescued from passing to the Next World by these two brave souls, who were torn from their world to save ours. They have sacrificed much, and as such, they must be gifted accordingly.”

A general murmur carried for a moment or two, then quieted.

“Ian has already been given one gift, that of Immortality and Spirit. He has risen to a place of honor among our people. As such, the first gift of thanks shall be given by one who has seen his bravery in battle firsthand.” At this, Taravair stepped up onto the throne, smiling warmly at Ian; he carried in his hands something wrapped in an iridescent cloth.

“For ages upon ages, the Golden Horn Guard has protected and served the Unicorn, from its original incarnation as all four-legged, to its current state consisting of First Unicorn and Immortal Bondmate. For the most part, our members are chosen from bloodline, or by deeds that deem them worthy. It is with this latter way that I, the Captain of the Guard, bestow upon you, Ian, with a well-deserved place in the Guard. You shall train amongst all of us to learn the art of sword and arrow, and with the occurrence of your Awakening, it will be possible for you to Bond to a mount of your own. Until then the colt of my Bondmate, the yearling Startail has accepted the honor of bearing the Healer of the Idol during his training.”

Ian was unsure if he was grasping the weight of what he was being given, but was quite certain this was no small thing judging by the murmurs running through the assemblage.

“Our final gift to you, brave Ian, is the honor that is small compared with that of the Goddess’ gift to you. Ours accompanies hers, completes it. In our highest mark of honor, we bestow upon you a Name; it came to me while I was present at your Blessing when the Idol was restored by your hand. To our Unicorn kin, you shall be known as Adragonne, Apprentice to the Guard,” Taravair concluded. He then stepped forward to Ian, pulling away the cloth around the object in his hands to reveal a sword sheathed in an ornate scabbard. He adjusted his hold on the sheathed weapon, laying it across both palms. Taravair smiled softly as he could see the uncertainty on Ian's face.

~Take the sword as I hold it now, and then I shall meet my Star with yours. It is all you need do,~ he 'voiced to Ian, the tone reassuring. Ian took the sword, then Taravair leaned in, touching the Star on his forehead to Ian's, completing the honor. The Immortal warrior paused as he drew back, raising his hands to rest on Ian's shoulders.

~I give you my own thanks for saving my world. Whatever you shall become matters not to me, Heart-brother. Whatever trials you face in the times to come as you learn your new home, I shall be here at your side.~

Ian raised his hands to rest on Taravair's shoulders in return; this time, his own heart told him to lean in and meet his Star with the noble warrior, with whom he had also felt a bond of friendship even before the battle.

~Good, because I don't think you're getting rid of me very easily,~ he said, prompting Taravair to smile broadly. With a last shared send of affection Taravair rose, bowing elegantly once more before taking his leave of the throne.

Senarin then moved to stand before Ryan, a mixture of friendship and concern gracing his face.

“Perhaps more than any Human you have endured the most in your part of this journey,” Senarin said, his tone regretful. “More than a few decisions have been made for you. It is for this reason that you shall, in turn, be granted any requests you may have, that we can fulfill,” he informed her.

Ryan thought for a long moment then, considering the many things swirling in her mind. Finally, she spoke.

“The only concern I really had has already been put to rest by a gift given to me before this night, by someone who chose to sacrifice something as sacred as a Bond to put things to rights,” she began. “Despite his upbringing outside of the Palace walls and the half-blood he possessed before his Awakening, Tempest is, at heart, a soul who learned right from wrong. He is, and always was, heart and soul, a Unicorn Immortal,” she said emphatically, setting the assemblage to murmuring again for a few minutes before Senarin stayed them. “All he ever wanted was acceptance from his own people, and yet I still hear whispers that because he did not come from a 'pure' place, that he does not belong here. Our Bond may be gone but we still share a tie, and I will not see him treated differently going forward. After all... Ian and I are no different. Our Unicorn spirits have been gifted to us as well. We are no less 'impure', yet we are accepted because of what we have done for this world. There should not be a difference.

“In that light, the only thing I would ask is that the feelings toward Unicorn such as Ian and I, and Tempest before his Awakening, are changed. It's not something that can happen overnight, I know. But no matter how we come to be who we are... it's what is in the heart that truly matters. You don't have to be 'pure' of blood to still be of value to your people. I don't know how long Ian and I will have to wait before we come to the Awakening we have been told of. But for us, and others like us that may live, both known and unknown, all I wish for is that they are welcomed the same way we are. It shouldn't take a Goddess blessing or saving the world for that to happen.”

Senarin nodded, casting a glance first to the King, and then over the assembled Unicorn. “Your words hold much weight with us all now,” he reminded them. “But change is possible, and so we all must try if we are to continue to thrive.”

As the crowd murmured a bit more, Keralah came to the throne, striding over to Ryan with lithe, catlike steps, carrying a bundle wrapped in the same iridescent cloth as Ian's sword had been.

"All of our people, regardless of identification, learn to be warriors to answer the call of the protection of our people when need be," she began. "For you, little warrior, it shall be no different. Veirandine and I are not only members of the Guard, but we also lead our huntresses in the art of sword and arrow. For you, my War-sister and Heart-sister, who possesses such great strength, I bestow upon you the welcome of the Guard, to train among us and hone your craft. The filly of my Bondmate Nighthaven, the yearling Dreamwind, has accepted the honor to bear the Slayer of the Chimera during your training." She knelt then, unwrapping a similarly-jeweled sword in a scabbard intricately embroidered and studded with jewels. Keralah held it out on her palms and Ryan followed what she'd seen Ian do at his presentation, leaning in to meet her Star with Keralah's.

~I am sorry I was not there to guide you as I promised,~ Keralah sent to her. ~I praise the Goddess that you survived.~

Ryan reached out then, placing her hands on Keralah's shoulders. ~Don't... it's not like you weren't bitten by a deadly snake or anything. I think you were a little preoccupied.~

Keralah found herself laughing softly at Ryan's words as the affection in them warmed her. ~Well, all right. But I shall make amends by guiding you to what I know you can become, brave Heart-sister.~

~I have never had a sister,~ Ryan smiled. ~I think I shall be that much more full for having one now.~ Her arms encircled the Immortal's shoulders as the pair shared a mutual embrace. Keralah then rose, bowing to Ryan once more before going back to stand with the rest of the Guard.

Aracon then rose, walking over to Ryan.“There is one more thing,” he continued. “Ian has been given the honor of a Name to befit his Unicorn self. And so, it is in fairness that you, Ryan, should receive one as well. But I am not the one who shall bestow it, as I am not the one who was given your Name.” Aracon stepped aside then, and Ryan felt a lump form in her throat as Tempest, still looking somewhat drawn, alighted the throne. Resplendent in deep blue the color of the sky on a cloudless day that was trimmed in intricate gold embroidery that matched his golden hair he came forward, standing before her and drawing in a deep breath to steady his thoughts.

“Much has been taken from you, and from Adragonne,” he began. “Your lives in the old world and your memories of them, and for you, dear Ryan, your very soul. I have given back to you as much as I could, save for one thing that came to me during my healing from the parting of our souls, which is still ongoing. But the loss of our Bond does not exclude you from that which is rightfully yours. From this day forward, to your new Unicorn kin, you shall be known by the Name the Goddess whispered to me, that Names the spirit of the Unicorn you carry within you. To us, you shall be known as Aryane... bearer of change.”

Ryan felt her heart swell with emotion then and she had to draw in a deep breath to keep herself composed. Tempest lowered to one knee, leaning in to meet his Star with hers; his send was a wordless one of deep love and devotion despite the loss of the Bond. As he began to slowly lean back to rise Ryan reached out to stay him with both hands on his shoulders, placing a kiss on one cheek.

~I'm going to hold you to this protector business,~ she reminded him, her tone gentle, playful. ~I hope you can deal with me.~

A smile crossed his lips then, and she was almost certain she saw a bit more color coming back to his face, as if the connection had brought about more healing. ~It will be difficult, Lady Aryane, but I shall do my best to rise to the challenge.~ He touched her shoulder then as he rose, turning to join Aracon at his place on the dias. More murmurs filtered through the room, the tone sounding satisified with the turn of events.

Senarin walked to the middle of the dias then, looking out over the crowd, then turning back to Ian and Ryan. With a bow that saw him drop to one knee, he proceeded with his final words.

“Lord Adragonne, Lady Aryane, bringers of peace to our world, we bid you welcome to your new home.” The crowd erupted into applause and cheers as Aracon, Tempest and the King, all bound to the respects demanded by the Goddess, also bowed to them.

~Why do I feel like I'm in the end of the first Star Wars movie?~ Ian suddenly asked Ryan, the random memory and accompanying reference popping up out of nowhere, setting her to fighting unsuccessfully to keep from laughing.

~Oh Ian,~ she said as she squeezed his hand, ~Don't ever change.~

Ian breathed a bit of a sigh of relief as the assembly began to break up, the hedonistic Unicorn beginning to concern themselves with the libations and foods waiting to accompany their celebrations.

~Believe me, my lady, I am going to try pretty damn hard not to,~ he reassured her. She giggled again as he teased her with her new title, then circled her arm around his waist as they descended from the dias to join in the festivities.

 


	26. Epilogue

~I think this may be the strangest thing I've ever been asked to make. But I'll admit, I'm rather fascinated. Your old world most certainly had some strange instruments though.~

Ian smiled as the Elf known as Darkstone began to use his unique gift, one the Elves called metal-shaping, to create the the fine, thin strands of steel from the large piece of it he'd found in the walls of the Labyrinths he called home. Darkstone had come to the Palace not long after the Healing of the Idol to speak with Ian and Ryan to not only offer his people's thanks, but to make amends. He'd been surprised to find that they were both technically now only half-Human, but he informed them that he'd climbed too far up the mountain to not give his apology anyway (spoken with the first smile they'd ever seen on the Elf's face).

They had come to know more about the Elves of Mythologica, and upon hearing of their many magical gifts -- especially those of metal- and plant-shaping, the latter of which included wood -- Ian had an idea. With the help of Darkstone and his daughter, the plant-shaper Dawnflower, both of whom he'd locksent images of a guitar to they'd collaborated on creating the pieces needed. Ian was certain that the body of the guitar, created by the gentle She-Elf, was possibly the only one to ever exist that was crafted from a single piece of wood. He was grateful beyond measure that of the many things he was losing his memories of, his extensive knowledge of guitars, right down to how things felt, sometimes even how the wood of a certain guitar smelled, were as bright and clear as if he'd just learned them. Senarin was convinced that this meant that his mastery of the instrument and his love for it was an integral piece of his soul, and was meant to stay with him -- and was also something he could contribute to his new world.

While Darkstone fashioned the strings, Ian finished adding the metal frets to the neck, tapping them in gently with a tiny tool normally used by the Unicorn forgers to fashion swords. He'd made do with what he could, and between magic and handcraft, his one-of-a-kind instrument was nearly done.

Ryan came into the grove in the Garden the trio had taken up residence in just as Darkstone finished the last string. Dawnflower was just putting the finishing touches on the body of the instrument, having found a few spots she wasn't quite happy with. Both Elves moved off as Ian began stringing the guitar; he was elated at how well the shot-in-the-dark attempt had turned out. Once he finished winding the last string onto the final metal peg on the headstock -- Darkstone had somehow managed to make them all the perfect length after simply running his hands along the length of the guitar to judge what was needed -- Ian settled the instrument onto his right leg, taking a few minutes to acclimate himself to it. It felt amazing to hold a guitar again...

Both Elves were startled as Ian began to play, the sound of the hollow instrument like nothing they'd ever heard before. The piece was one Ryan remembered hearing him play many times... though her recollection of when and where were growing more and more dim as time went on. But seeing Ian playing again and hearing the familiar song once more warmed Ryan's heart, and suddenly this strange world that they were still both adjusting to felt quite a bit more like home.

Ian finished, letting the final chord fade out, a broad grin playing over his face.

~It's perfect,~ he 'voiced. ~I don't know how I can thank either of you enough. Of all the things I had to leave behind... this was the one thing I missed most dearly.~

~It was a challenge... but now that I've heard it, I understand,~ Darkstone smiled. ~Its voice is like nothing I've ever known to be in this world.~

Dawnflower finally noticed Ryan then and came over with a smile, greeting her warmly; Ian, still engrossed in the instrument didn't see her yet, leading Darkstone to smile as well.

~I think you may lose your lifemate to this new toy,~ Darkstone 'voiced with a smirk; Ryan was quite amused that the Elf had shown a bit of wit in their presence for the first time.

~In our old world, he would get lost in his music too,~ Ryan remembered fondly. ~It is so much a part of him, I am quite happy to see it returned. I shall have to find a way to thank you both as well, for it has been quite some time since I have seen him this happy.~

~It was my pleasure Lady Aryane,~ Dawnflower replied. ~Now that I know what to do, perhaps I shall try again, but this time perhaps Darkstone and I can create something for those of us with four fingers.~ Darkstone's eyebrows raised then, his interest piqued; the giggle the She-Elf's ambitious thought brought forth from Ryan finally caught Ian's attention.

"Oh I didn't see you there," he smiled, holding the guitar up for Ryan's inspection. "What do you think?"

"I'm quite impressed," Ryan grinned as she walked over to where Ian was sitting, getting a closer look at the Elves' handiwork. "But don't wear out the strings too fast, poor Darkstone will only want to come all this way so many times to make them."

The Elf actually laughed then; both Ian and Ryan were certain that it was the first time they'd both heard him do so. "I will make as many sets of them as I can with this piece of steel and leave them with you. But I'm sure I'll be making more if Dawnflower's idea works out."

"What idea is that?" Ian said, not having been privvy to the conversation earlier; Dawnflower then told him of her idea for an Elvish version of the instrument.

"Just make it with four strings," Ian said. "Like this." Ian then sent them all a mental picture of the idea that formed in his head: Essentially, an acoustic guitar with the string configuration of a ukelele, which Ian had also known how to play. "If you can make one, I can teach you to play it."

Darkstone and Dawnflower were now quite excited at this possibility, and after a bit more discussion moved off into another part of the grove to toss more ideas around as Darkstone made good on his promise to create more strings. Ryan watched them go, smiling warmly as she draped an arm around Ian's shoulders. He began to play again, another instrumental piece that had been Ryan's favorite. The tone of the guitar was rich and warm, a sound that could never have been created in their old world. The magic used to create the instrument almost seemed to radiate out with each note; indeed, the bright yellow and blue Wish Birds had begun to congregate in the garden, alighting on the rose bushes and hedges or flitting about, drawn in by the lilting melody Ian played.

Ryan began to feel it as Ian got to her favorite part of the song; a familiar pull on her soul, but odd at the same time. This time, the pull wasn't challenged... it let itself be led along willingly...

Ian felt it at the same time; it felt intermingled in the music, and almost as if it were being carried away with each note. Ian had never told Ryan this piece she had always loved so much was actually for her; he'd written it one night after they'd spent the day together not long after they'd met. Every time he'd ever played it, he'd always pictured her in his mind; the soft part of the melody her gentleness, the playful part inspired by her laugh and her personality that always roused him to fits of laughter or bashfulness... the grand part at the end speaking of the then growing feelings he had for her. Only now, as he played it with every emotion he felt it spoke of their love, their triumphs, their strength. As he melted into the music's embrace he felt as if he were almost physically reaching out to her with each note, as if he were opening himself up more completely than he ever had before. He never remembered feeling so completely wrapped in emotion when he'd played this before...

The last chord faded out and Ian felt as if he were ready to burst. Setting the guitar down, he turned to her to find her face was tearstained, her own emotions flowing freely now. Ryan had somehow felt the music was for her, the love in Ian's heart carried to her on each note...

_Look deep within both of your souls... your love is deep enough to bring on the Bond she is meant to have._ Tempest's words the night he'd absolved Ryan of their Bond came back to both of them in a rush and they suddenly knew what had happened. It felt different to Ryan this time; the pull on her soul matched the emotions in her heart. She felt Ian's presence within her being and sobbed for joy; even though he had not experienced a Lifebond before, the Unicorn within Ian gave him the intuition to identify the part of Ryan's spirit that now embraced his own soul.

~Well... you have taken wooing a girl with a serenade to a whole new level. I always told you that you stole my heart every time you played... and now you've stolen my soul as well,~ she 'voiced... and the feel of her send made him gasp as it was no longer just her 'voice within him, wrapping around his heart, but her very essence. They fell into each other's arms, both sobbing so hard they could barely breathe for quite some time. As their tears abated they gazed into each others' eyes, both sharing the feeling of their minds and souls entwining and wordlessly sending feelings of love, devotion and rejoicing in the fact that they could finally be together without challenge.

~Now you're really stuck with me,~ Ryan finally 'voiced when the ability to form words in her mind returned. She leaned in, pressing the Star on her forehead to his as she still held him tightly.

~How do you know I haven't been practicing all this time to do just that?~ he teased. ~This has all been part of a plan... to....~ Ian trailed off then, abruptly realizing that if he was going to tease her with an embellished story, it certainly couldn't be within the confines of the always truthful mindvoice. Both came to the realization at the same time and dissolved into helpless laughter; it seemed they both still had quite a bit to learn.

After a bit longer in each other's arms, they began to feel it... the attraction they'd always had for each other grew to feel nearly overwhelming. Rising, Ian took Ryan's hand and proceeded to lead her back to the Palace; the pair broke into another fit of giggles as Ian suddenly had to backtrack to retrieve the guitar.

~The most important moment of our lives, and you're still worried about your guitar,~ she laughed as they began to walk up the path; a glance into the other grove revealed that the two Elves had most likely made their way to the Palace to continue their work where its magic aided them further. Ian laughed with her as they continued up the path.

~I once told you that the two most important things in my life were my music and you,~ he reminded her. ~Why should that change?~

The memory of his speaking the words in a time that seemed farther away than it really was came back to her then, and they both felt the warmth surge through them as her soul sang of just how much those words had meant to her. ~I never want it to change,~ she assured him as they slipped into a side entryway into the Palace. ~Just as I never want you to change, my dearest Adragonne.~

~Nor I you, my beloved Aryane,~ Ian replied, the Lifebond bringing more of their Unicorn selves to the fore as those parts of their beings also intertwined, the words their new people would use now coming easily to them both.

Upon returning to their chambers, Ryan turned to bolt the door; Ian was about to tease her about expecting interruptions but she turned back toward him and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him passionately as the full effects of the entwining of their souls came on in force. The next while was a whirlwind of lost clothing and exploring the passions of their Lifebond, both having difficulty getting enough of each other's bodies, minds and spirits.

Finally, as the light filtering through the small separation in the curtains of the window faded into night they were completely sated, collapsing into each other's arms. They spent time as they always did after a night of pleasures -- gentle caresses, soft kisses and murmured words of affection. They fell asleep entwined within each other's physical and spiritual embrace, the Bond between them finally well and truly sealed – the one borne of friendship forged in a place they would soon no longer remember, and of love borne of surviving their greatest sorrows and triumphs together. A true Bond that now, no matter what happened, would never be broken and could never be taken from them. Their world and their lives had indeed changed but the truest thing, their destined place together in whatever world they lived in would always remain, to the end of time itself.

 

**Author's Note:**

> A big thank you to [Mackenziejen](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Mackenziejen/pseuds/Mackenziejen) who gave me the heads up that original work can be posted here. I have only been here since the spring of 2017 and had no idea it wasn't only for fandom work. :)
> 
> I am at @AslanKatsuki on Twitter and @huntressfirefall on Tumblr, where I hope to be posting art of the various YOI characters' personas in this story soon, as well as the original characters that will be mixed in along the way. If you have any questions about this story or my Mythologica universe in general, hit me up at huntressfirefall.tumblr.com/ask or @reply me over on Twitter.
> 
>  ***
> 
> Through the years, there were a very few people I shared this story with. When they read it, even though it was long ago, they offered opinions and ideas that stayed with me, and influenced the version that you are about to read. So: to Jaime, to whom I sent a handwritten copy of the original story, thanks, and sorry you had to put up with my crappy handwriting. :) If you ever find that old mess, hang on to it: Maybe someone will find this and publish it, I'll become a prize-winning author and you can sell the "original manuscript" on Ebay *grin*. Pam, who read the second version and offered input which translated into a pivotal part of this rewrite. And last but not least, Mom and Viv, who pointed out things that I carried with me as well.
> 
> There were other inspirations too, which I must acknowledge: Wendy and Richard Pini, creators of ElfQuest, who helped me expand my characters and find explanations for many of the ideas I couldn't put into words before. C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia, also for many inspirations that fans of these works will recognize as they read. And the movie The Last Unicorn, for the very idea that started it all.
> 
> And last, but definitely not least:
> 
> This story is dedicated in loving memory to my mother, who always encouraged me to follow my dreams and to believe in all things, especially myself. I love you and miss you Mom.


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